Once upon a time in American viticulture, Sauvignon Blanc was the noble grape least likely to inspire or mesmerize. California wineries in particular led the charge to dumb down Sauvignon, first by overproduction and then by all too often treating it dismissively in the cellar.
Sauvignon Blanc was meant to deliver a large crop that could be processed easily and released into the market quickly for the sole purpose of generating cash flow. The great mystery was that no one seemed to notice, or care, that in some parts of the world, notably the Loire Valley, Bordeaux and New Zealand, Sauvignon produced white wines that were revered.
America has come around on Sauvignon, a trend that seemed to be ignited by an attraction to the tangy, pungent Sauvignons of Marlborough, New Zealand. Forced to compete in the marketplace, American Sauvignons got better.
Which brings me to Illumination, a Napa Valley Sauvignon that didn’t exist a decade ago. Illumination springs from a vineyard on the Quintessa estate owned by legendary vintner Augustin Huneeus, who built Concha y Toro into Chile’s most iimportant winery and later guided Franciscan Estate to prominence in the Napa Valley.
The care and attention to detail that Illumination devotes to Sauvignon Blanc is an impressive example of potential fulfilled. Quintessa winemaker Charles Thomas has a long history with high-class Sauvignon, dating back to his days as winemaker at the Robert Mondavi Winery, which was among the first wineries in California to take Sauvignon Blanc seriously.
He has crafted a blend of Sauvignon, Sauvignon Musque and Semillon that he ferments in three different vessels — egg-shaped concrete fermentation tanks manufactured in Burgundy, stainless steel tanks and neutral French oak barrels. The concrete tanks impart a richness and roundness that typically are achieved only by barrel fermentation, but without the telltale scent of oak.
Stylistically this is not a Sauvignon that exhibits the pungency that is so popular with fans of New Zealand Sauvignon. It does have some of the vibrancy, minerality and luscious citrus character found in the Loire, but more than anything else it offers the richness and stone fruits of a top notch Bordeaux blanc, with a subtle honeyed note on the finish.
This is an exquisite wine, beautifully balanced and fresh, with finesse that is rare in New World Sauvignon. It retails at the winery for $40, but I have found it on the internet for around $30.
Whatever the price, Illumination quite simply is, in my humble opinion, America’s finest Sauvignon Blanc.
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