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Meyer lemon zest, white peach, yuzu, honeysuckle, orange blossom and crystallized ginger, with lime leaf and quince. Medium-bodied and generously textured, with savory minerality, taut, mouthwatering acidity and a long, focused citrus finish.
Available in store
Close58% Sauvignon Blanc, 28% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué, 14% Sémillon
Food pairings: Grilled swordfish, bay scallops, oysters, crab and lobster, sushi, stuffed sole and other delicate white fish, fresh green salads, goat cheese and light poultry dishes.
Scores:
Winemaking: The grapes are hand-picked and the whole clusters gently pressed. The juice then ferments with native yeasts in a variety of vessels, each chosen for what it brings: new and neutral French oak barrels for depth and a hint of oak spice, acacia barrels for complex floral spice on the nose, stainless steel barrels for purity of fruit, and egg-shaped concrete fermenters for fresh aromas and richness on the palate. The lees are stirred during fermentation to build weight and complexity. In 2024 steady winter rains filled the soil's water reserves, budbreak came early and the canopy grew in balance with a good crop. Harvest began at dawn on August 16 with the Sauvignon Blanc Musqué and ended with old-vine Sémillon on September 20, giving bright flavors and balanced acidity.
Vineyards and terroir: Illumination is crafted with the same philosophy and precision as Quintessa, as a white worthy of the estate blend, and the core of its fruit has always come from the Quintessa estate, where Agustin and Valeria Huneeus planted a plot of Sauvignon Blanc, convinced of the variety's potential to be transparent to its terroir. The 2024 combines 55% Napa County fruit with 45% from Sonoma County. Quintessa lies on the eastern edge of Rutherford at the foot of the Vaca Mountains, a natural mosaic of hills and valleys with a variety of soils and microclimates, where small vineyard blocks follow the undulating land among natural woodland, ancient oaks and Dragon Lake. The estate has been farmed organically since it was first planted in 1989, and with biodynamic practices since 1996.
Family and history: Agustin and Valeria Huneeus founded Quintessa on virgin land that had never before been cultivated, planting it in 1989. After years running global wine companies, Agustin teamed up with his son Agustin Francisco in 2004 to build Huneeus Wines, a family portfolio that today includes Quintessa, Illumination, Flowers, Faust, Benton-Lane and Leviathan. Winemaker Rebekah Wineburg studied chemistry and biology at Macalester College, earned her master's degree in viticulture and enology at UC Davis, and worked harvests in California, Oregon, Italy and New Zealand before joining Quintessa in 2015.
In the pictures: Winemaker Rebekah Wineburg; the Illumination Sauvignon Blanc vineyard; and the view from the glass-walled pavilion on the Quintessa estate over oaks, water and vineyards (photos courtesy of Huneeus Wines).
