Winemaker Notes
Blend: 52% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué, 32% Sauvignon Blanc, 16% Semillon
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The beautiful wine, the 2014 Sauvignon Blanc Illumination, is actually a cross-county blend, with 62% coming from Napa and the rest from Sonoma. This wine is stunningly aromatic, with fragrant notes of orange blossom, caramelized grapefruit, mango and melon. It is medium-bodied but juicy, with a terrific texture and a long, authoritative, dry finish. Drink it over the next several years.
Illumination first emanated from this little vineyard, appearing in limited circles. Quickly, its rays penetrated the palates of sommeliers, friends and guests who requested Illumination for their own cellars and restaurants. We searched for more grapes from nearby vineyards in Rutherford and the cooler southern regions of Napa Valley always seeking vineyards with alluvial soils and limited yields to provide concentration, mineral notes and bright, vibrant character.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.