Illumination (2023)

About this wine

Illumination 2023 is a blend led by Sauvignon Blanc with a sizable portion of the aromatic Musqué clone and a touch of Sémillon, sourced from Napa and Sonoma sites. turn1view0 On the nose it shows grapefruit peel, honeysuckle and white peach, with floral notes of clover blossom and ginger tea. The palate delivers lemon curd, kumquat and guava flavors over a wet slate mineral note, framed by racy acidity and a plush textural roundness from fermentation in a mix of barrels, concrete eggs and ceramic amphora. The 2023 vintage drew high praise from critics for its complexity and length, including a top score from Wine Spectator and notes calling out beeswax and marmalade nuances. This is a focused white with mid weight structure and the balance to age gracefully for a decade in good cellaring conditions.

About the grape

Sauvignon Blanc is at the heart of Illumination and Quintessa has planted Sauvignon Blanc Musqué, a fragrant clone, in the cool clay Las Casas block since 2002 to showcase terroir driven aromatics and bright acidity. The Musqué clone brings floral and aromatic lift while more classic Sauvignon Blanc lots from partner sites in Napa and Sonoma add linearity and citrus driven precision, with fruit coming from both cool valley sites and well drained rocky volcanic soils. Sémillon has long been used in Bordeaux style white blends and on this bottling old vine Sémillon parcels are included for weight, texture and the ability to age, often harvested later to bring ripe phenolics and waxy depth. In the cellar the components are handled gently with whole cluster pressing and a mix of fermentation vessels such as barrels, concrete and amphora like vessels to preserve varietal clarity while building a layered, integrated blend.

Quick facts

• ✨ Illumination was created to be the white counterpart to Quintessa, a white with its own personality that can stand beside their famous red estate wine
• 🌱 Quintessa planted their first Sauvignon Blanc block in 2002, and that same vineyard now supplies the Musqué clone that gives Illumination its perfume
• 🗺️ The 2023 bottle mixes grapes from Napa and Sonoma including a splash of Sémillon from Calistoga, giving it both bright zip and surprising depth
• 🥚 Winemakers ferment and age the wine in a playful mix of vessels, think concrete eggs, ceramic amphorae, acacia and French oak, to build its layered texture
• 🏷️ Illumination is a limited production white, only a few thousand cases each year, which helps explain why collectors often seek it out quickly

Palate profile

Producer

Quintessa was established after Agustin and Valeria Huneeus acquired 280 acres of virgin land in Rutherford in 1989, with the first plantings beginning around 1990 and the first estate vintage released in 1994. The estate was laid out in small vineyard blocks to reflect the site diversity and early on adopted organic farming and biodynamic practices to nurture the land. Quintessa builds each vintage by vinifying each block separately, then blending to express the mosaic of soils, slopes, and microclimates across the property. The winery estate includes a lake and preserved woodlands and has been developed with gravity flow winemaking and cave spaces that fit into the hillside. Quintessa remains known for a single flagship Bordeaux style red, plus a small white offering, that aim to communicate the character of the place.