Quintessa Illumination 2013 Fascinated with making a white wine from Quintessa, Agustin Huneeus planted a small plot of Sauvignon Blanc at the estate in 2002. Illumination first emanuated from this little vineyard, its rays penetrating the palates of sommeliers, friends and guests who requested it for their own cellars. He now shares this limited production wine with kindred spirits seeking illumination via wines that express their place of origin. Agustin Huneeus celebrated his 80th birthday, at harvest time in 2013, with the release of the latest vintage of Illumination. I tasted Illumination at a recent wine tasting event hosted by Quintessa representatives and thought the wine was truly magnificent.…
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Merry Edwards 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Warm weather is here again so it’s time to crack open a Sauvignon Blanc, but not just any Sauvignon Blanc, start the summer with one of the best. One of California’s first woman winemakers, Merry Edwards began her career at Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1974. She went on to become the founding winemaker at Matanzas Creek in 1977 and remained there until 1984. For the next decade, Merry consulted for numerous wineries, large and small, in Oregon and many diverse appellations of California. In 1997, family and friends joined Merry to found Merry Edwards Winery, with a focus on producing…
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Cakebread Cellars 2012 Sauvignon Blanc Cakebread Cellars was founded, in 1973, by Jack and Dolores Cakebread and they have an enduring commitment to quality, their belief is that life’s occasions are elevated by good people, good food, and good wine flows through everything they do. The 2012 Sauvignon Blanc was Cakebread’s 38th vintage from Napa Valley, and considered one of their best. The wine is a blend of Grapes: 87% Sauvignon Blanc, 9% Sèmillon, and 4% Sauvignon Musqué. In 2013, Cakebread Cellars celebrated their 40th wine harvest, and the second generation of winemaking, and in 1995, the family purchased a 60-acre former apple orchard in Anderson Valley near Boonville and…
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Grgich Hills Estate 2009 Late Harvest Violetta Miljenko “Mike” Grgich first gained international recognition at the celebrated “Paris Tasting” of 1976. Then, in a now-historic blind tasting, a panel of eminent French judges swirled, sniffed, and sipped an array of the fabled white Burgundies of France and a small sampling of upstart Chardonnays from the Napa Valley. When their scores were tallied, the French judges were shocked: they had chosen the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, crafted by Mike Grgich, as the finest white wine in the world. Mon Dieu! The results stunned the international wine establishment and immediately earned Mike a reputation as one of the greatest winemakers in the…
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Goldwater 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Goldwater Estate, Marlborough New Zealand, was established in 1978 by Kim and Jeanette Goldwater when they pioneered wine growing on Waiheke Island. Using traditional winemaking techniques together with modern technology and the finest French oak, the Goldwater’s produced handcrafted wines with vibrant fruit characters, harmonious balance, elegant structure and exceptional concentration. Goldwater Sauvignon Blanc is selected from vineyards in the Wairau Valley. These vineyards produced fruit with the vibrant flavors that epitomize top quality Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Careful canopy and yield management, including leaf plucking and shoot thinning, further enhanced the fruit quality. The fruit was processed in the Marlborough winery. It was cool fermented in…
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Groth 2012 Napa Sauvignon Blanc In 1981, Dennis and Judy Groth purchased 121 acre parcel in Napa known as the Oakville Vineyards, in the heart of the Oakville Appellation. In fact at that time some of their grapes found their way to Silver Oak and other notable Napa wineries. Between 1999 and 2003, almost 50% of their vineyard was replanted and in 2006 they rebuilt the barrel cellars, crush and fermentation areas. The Groth 2012 Sauvignon Blanc was produced from grapes grown in various microclimates of the Napa Valley, 97% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Semillon. The warmer Napa Valley microclimates produces grapes that result in wines with a lush, full…
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Merry Edwards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc Warm weather is finally arriving so it’s time to pop open a Sauvignon Blanc, but not just any Sauvignon Blanc, let’s kick off the summer with one of the best. One of California’s first woman winemakers, Merry Edwards began her career at Mount Eden Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1974. She went on to become the founding winemaker at Matanzas Creek in 1977 and remained there until 1984. For the next decade, Merry consulted for numerous wineries, large and small, in Oregon and many diverse appellations of California. In 1997, family and friends joined Merry to found Merry Edwards Winery, with a focus…