Winemaker Notes
Luminesce, our white Bordeaux blend, is anchored with Semillon at its core, providing lush tropical fruit and honeysuckle. The introduction of Sauvignon Blanc broadens the flavor and texture, elevating the crisp, floral, and mineral side of the wine.
Rich and harmonious our estate Luminesce offers aromas and flavors of citrus honey, white peach and lemon tart which builds nicely to a lingering, slightly waxy finish of citrus-mineral-spice notes.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A delicious blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Sémillon, the 2018 Luminesce Seven Hills Vineyard has a nose of lemons and pineapples, balanced with a floral and mineral expression. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, clean and focused, with citrus-laced flavors. The mid-palate is clean and expressive with a good structure and the right amount of acidity to keep things interesting, followed by a lingering, squeaky-clean finish. This wine is keenly priced, a great value.
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Wine Spectator
Vibrant and zesty, with fresh fruit, offering lemon, honeysuckle and dried hay accents that glide on a crisp finish. Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Drink now.
Sometimes light and crisp, other times rich and creamy, Bordeaux White Blends typically consist of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Often, a small amount of Muscadelle or Sauvignon Gris is included for added intrigue. Popularized in Bordeaux, the blend is often mimicked throughout the New World. Somm Secret—Sauternes and Barsac are usually reserved for dessert, but they can be served before, during or after a meal. Try these sweet wines as an aperitif with jamón ibérico, oysters with a spicy mignonette or during dinner alongside hearty Alsatian sausage.
Responsible for some of Washington’s most highly acclaimed wines, the Walla Walla Valley has experienced a surge in popularity in recent years and is home to both historic wineries and younger, up-and-coming producers.
The Walla Walla Valley, a Native American name meaning “many waters,” is located in southeastern Washington; part of the appellation actually extends into Oregon. Soils here are well-drained, sandy loess over Missoula Flood deposits and fractured basalt.
It is a region perfectly suited to Rhône-inspired Syrahs, distinguished by savory notes of red berry, black olive, smoke and fresh earth. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot create a range of styles from smooth and supple to robust and well-structured. White varieties are rare but some producers blend Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, resulting in a rich and round style, and plantings of Viognier, while minimal, are often quite successful.
Of note within Walla Walla, is one new and very peculiar appellation, called the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. This is the only AVA in the U.S. whose boundaries are totally defined by the soil type. Soils here look a bit like those in the acclaimed Rhône region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, but are large, ancient, basalt cobblestones. These stones work in the same way as they do in Chateauneuf, absorbing and then radiating the sun's heat up to enhance the ripening of grape clusters. The Rocks District is within the part of Walla Walla that spills over into Oregon and naturally excels in the production of Rhône varieties like Syrah, as well as the Bordeaux varieties.