Illumination (Quintessa) Sauvignon Blanc Napa-Sonoma Counties 2021

96 points James Suckling: "Honeysuckle and sliced melon on both the nose and palate, together with light lime and a hint of white peach. It’s full and layered with density and focus. Flint and crushed stone. It’s long and flavorful. Granita. Creamy texture. Barrel-fermented with some eggs. Almost all old wood. 20% semillon. Unique white for name. Drink or hold. (9/14/22)"

96 points Raffaele Vecchione (WinesCritic.com): "Precise and extremely elegant in the glass, this Sauvignon Blanc, partly blended with Sémillon, displays notes of white peaches, honeydew melon, rose petals, hawthorn blossoms, and lime. Definitely exotic in its main profile. Full-bodied, with an engaging structure that shows tension and harmony, and a splendidly long finish that lingers on the palate for tens of seconds. Drink now or age. (Aug 2022)"

95 points Wine Enthusiast: "Made from 50% Sauvignon Blanc Musque, 30% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Sémillon, the grapes grown both in Napa and Sonoma counties, this is an incredibly delicious, refined and impressive wine. Peach skin, orange peel and lovely, intertwined acidity provide a bright, light and memorable expression of summertime fruit and freshness. (Dec 2022)"

94 points Jonathan Cristaldi (Decanter): "This 2021 Illumination is lovely and just starting to show some darker fruit character, a bit richer than the 2023, with lemon oil and salted Marcona almonds, alongside a hint of vanilla bean skin and honeysuckle notes. Medium to full-bodied, with salted Meyer lemon peel and orange essence, complemented by lingering hints of subtle brown spices and dried herbs. Long and wonderfully enticing. So dangerously easy to drink. The core grapes for Quintessa's Illumination white are sourced from the winery's estate in Rutherford, along with fruit from another site in South Napa and a vineyard in Sonoma's Bennett Valley. In 2021, the blend included 50% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, and 20% Sémillon. The grapes were whole-cluster pressed before fermentation, initiated by native yeasts in a mix of French oak barrels, acacia barrels, egg-shaped concrete fermenters, and stainless steel barrels. The wine is then aged in a variety of vessels, including concrete eggs, ceramic amphorae, French oak barrels, French acacia barrels, and stainless steel. There is some bâtonnage until blending and bottling, which occurs in March following the previous harvest. The wine is not fined but is filtered. (60% Napa, 40% Sonoma). Drinking Window: 2024-2036. (8/9/24)"

94 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "A blend of 50% Sauvignon Musque, 33% Sauvignon Blanc, and 17% Semillon, the 2021 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc bursts with notes of lemon curd, lime cordial, and grapefruit peel plus hints of wild thyme and wet slate. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a decadent oiliness to the texture, with racy acidity to counter and great length. Alcohol 14%. Drink: 2023-2028. (8/21/23)"

93 points Wine Spectator: "Wonderfully expressive, oozing with fragrant details and complex notes of honeysuckle, Meyer lemon, makrut lime, litsea oil and lemon verbena. Intense and harmonious, but the supple frame and fresh thread of acidity leave an elegant impression. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Drink now. (3/31/23)"

93 points Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux): "(50% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillon). Powerful, nuanced and well spiced, this has juicy, lightly toasted stone fruits, sculpted acidities and dried herbs. Good quality. Fruit sourced from 60% Napa County, 40% Sonoma County. Winemaker Rebekah Wineberg, consultant Michel Rolland. Alcohol 14%. Drink: 2022-2032. (7/19/22)"