Wine Society Blind Tasting (Eagle Brook CC): Double blind. Pale color. Aromas of citrus fruit and grass, along with a strong jalapeño note. Grassy on the palate as well, with citrus fruit in abundance. There’s a richness to this that makes me think there is some semillon in the blend.
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Outstanding example of what a great Sauvignon Blanc should be. Soft lemon nuance with just the right fruit and acidity to be an aperitif wine or paired with roasted chicken.
Beautiful sauv blanc. From my understanding, finished in acacia barrels. Great blend of grass and fruit. Had to justify the price, but still nice nonetheless.
This is as good as Sauvignon Blanc gets. Clear, pale yellow in the glass.
Complex, wide ranging aromas from lemon curd to pineapple to honeycomb to peach and hay. All with a distinct mineral wet stone / grassy backbone adding freshness.
Palate is lush and round with racy acidity and pronounced 14% alcohol. If there is a fault, it is the alcohol integration.
Flavours are largely tropical with guava and pineapple with hints of thyme, rosemary, hay and stone. Long, spicy finish.
Admittedly not a regular sauv blanc drinker but this wine always impresses me. Nose of lemon thyme, hay, red grapefruit and honeysuckle that stays consistent through the palate - and adds some key lime and lemon curd for a nice finish. This never disappoints.
"I really don't feel like I'm ready for this wine. I can tell there's a lot going on," said Max, meaning it as a compliment, as this was the first time he's felt that way since we really got into wine tasting in April. And he's right: this was the most complex white wine we've had so far.
The fascinating flavor profile of this pale-to-medium straw white included, for Max, saline, mineral, and guava notes, and citrus, herb, and buttered bread for Jessie. As we continued to sip, Jessie started throwing out descriptions like "salty peach" and "buttered citrus." Honeysuckle evident, too. Oh, and oak! Definitely oak, evident immediately in the aroma (at least for Jessie, whereas Max only picked upon it on the palate), especially when compared to the Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc that we'd had a few days before. Very different! Max didn't like the CB, but he found this one respectable (even though he's deciding that he's not a big sauvignon blanc fan). Jessie, meanwhile, liked this enough that she's now thinking of buying an expensive red from Quintessa. (Oh dear...that's not in our price range!) Both of us noticed the finish engages strikingly with the back of the nasal passage, for an impressive effect.
Overall, dry, high (but less than Cloudy Bay) acidity, medium-light body but with intense flavor.
Light golden in color. Nose of hay, lemon, and honeycomb. Second nose is more of the same, grass, and wet stone. Light and crisp with a smooth mouthfeel.
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Light in color with golden color. First nose of lemon, melon, hay. Second. Use is more of the same and more intense. Notes of steel and pear. Sweet and smooth with dry finish.
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I felt like I needed a little Illumination this weekend and what a better way than to get some from Augustin Huneeus and Quintessa vineyards. This project was originally started by Augustin in 2002, as a side project to experiment with Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc Musque and Semillion. Illumination is made in very small quantities it is usually reserved for restaurants but some showed up here in market (Wichita) and I have wanted to try it. I couldn’t find the percentages of the varietal blend but it does state that 49% of the fruit was from Napa and 51% was from Sonoma. The wine had a pale straw, yellow color with moderate legs. On the nose right off I got honeysuckle, lemon curd, white peach, some cantaloupe and some jasmine. On the palate I noticed more white peach, grapefruit, cantaloupe with an excellent balance between fruit and the acidity. The finish was right on finishing with a nice zing of grapefruit, lemon, lime and more white peaches. Delicious and in its prime drinking window and will age 2-3 more years lasting until 2023 if properly cellared. 92 points. I picked mine up from Auburn Wine East(Wichita Kansas market) for about $45. A great step up if your looking for a Bordeaux style white blend or a mid tier complex white. I had mine with some grilled Haddock and it was excellent.
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Nose: Gooseberries and a hint of lemon peel, reserved projection.
Mouth: Shows a core of light lemon curd scored with flashes of semi-ripe pineapple and a light acid edge, leading a easy finish of lightly toasted baking spice, verbena, and powdered mineral.
Overall: This is pretty, exhibiting unified notes following from that lemon meringue center. Not hugely complex, but a fine effort showing good body and balance. Harmonious. 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
90
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50/50 Napa/Sonoma fruit which comes through in the flavor profile. Lemon/lime and tree fruit, not quite tropical but still high acid to maintain a lively balance. Concentration and intensity on nose and palate are also satisfying. Body is medium plus and agree with earlier notes that mouthfeel is creamy for an SB. Certainly a new world wine but well done and appealing to Francophiles like myself.
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Same notes as before. Just the right citrus bite to offset a good artisanal garlic chicken Caesar salad......no overbearing grapefruit, just a nice acidic lemon-lime.
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Very pale straw yellow, bordering on clear. Nose and taste dominated by grapefruit and other citrus but with some sweeter notes of nectarine and unripened pear. Semi dry and medium acidity. Medium bodied. Nice wine. About 89-90.
Trade in some of the plushness of the 2016 for a brisket acidity on the finish. Still a nice california SB and good QPR at $33 (probably worth the usual $40 tariff).
Great white grapefruit on the nose, a little green apple in the mouth with it, with a silky, creamy mouthfeel and wonderful mouthwatering acidity. A really nice entry for the Sav Blanc crowd.....some tropical fruits in the middle and on the end. Just a great bargain drinker for under $30.
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Another nice bottle with good weight in the mouth, a smidge of malo up front only but nicely balanced fruit and acidity with plenty of grapefruit, green apple and quince. Obtained locally for around $28. Can't beat it at that price.
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Retailer tasting. Lots of tropical fruit on the nose and palate. Not as much obvious acidity as the Ghost Block, but it's there, giving a bit of backbone and lift. Tropical fruit lingers through the finish. A much different style, but enjoyable for what it is.
6/11/2022 - Leinike Likes this wine: 89 Points
Perhaps waited slightly too long to drink this. Start to get a bit effervescent. Drink right away.
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10/28/2021 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Wine Society Blind Tasting (Eagle Brook CC): Double blind. Pale color. Aromas of citrus fruit and grass, along with a strong jalapeño note. Grassy on the palate as well, with citrus fruit in abundance. There’s a richness to this that makes me think there is some semillon in the blend.
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8/23/2021 - smoothjazz wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding example of what a great Sauvignon Blanc should be. Soft lemon nuance with just the right fruit and acidity to be an aperitif wine or paired with roasted chicken.
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4/18/2021 - ScubaSommelier Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful sauv blanc. From my understanding, finished in acacia barrels. Great blend of grass and fruit. Had to justify the price, but still nice nonetheless.
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3/27/2021 - MS86 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is as good as Sauvignon Blanc gets. Clear, pale yellow in the glass.
Complex, wide ranging aromas from lemon curd to pineapple to honeycomb to peach and hay. All with a distinct mineral wet stone / grassy backbone adding freshness.
Palate is lush and round with racy acidity and pronounced 14% alcohol. If there is a fault, it is the alcohol integration.
Flavours are largely tropical with guava and pineapple with hints of thyme, rosemary, hay and stone. Long, spicy finish.
Drink now.
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10/1/2020 - sstein19 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light yellow in color. First nose of lemon, hay, and melon. Second nose of melon and lemon. Citrus flavor with minerallity.
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9/28/2020 - Four Skulls Likes this wine: 89 Points
Crisp, Grapefruit
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9/23/2020 - cincybt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Admittedly not a regular sauv blanc drinker but this wine always impresses me. Nose of lemon thyme, hay, red grapefruit and honeysuckle that stays consistent through the palate - and adds some key lime and lemon curd for a nice finish. This never disappoints.
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8/7/2020 - Jessie and Max Likes this wine: 92 Points
"I really don't feel like I'm ready for this wine. I can tell there's a lot going on," said Max, meaning it as a compliment, as this was the first time he's felt that way since we really got into wine tasting in April. And he's right: this was the most complex white wine we've had so far.
The fascinating flavor profile of this pale-to-medium straw white included, for Max, saline, mineral, and guava notes, and citrus, herb, and buttered bread for Jessie. As we continued to sip, Jessie started throwing out descriptions like "salty peach" and "buttered citrus." Honeysuckle evident, too. Oh, and oak! Definitely oak, evident immediately in the aroma (at least for Jessie, whereas Max only picked upon it on the palate), especially when compared to the Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc that we'd had a few days before. Very different! Max didn't like the CB, but he found this one respectable (even though he's deciding that he's not a big sauvignon blanc fan). Jessie, meanwhile, liked this enough that she's now thinking of buying an expensive red from Quintessa. (Oh dear...that's not in our price range!) Both of us noticed the finish engages strikingly with the back of the nasal passage, for an impressive effect.
Overall, dry, high (but less than Cloudy Bay) acidity, medium-light body but with intense flavor.
Max: 92 Jessie: 93
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7/18/2020 - Gregmonroe Likes this wine:
Strong stone fruit flavors, and overtaken by peach as it warms up. A good sauv blanc, but to me, closer to NZ than Napa or Bordeaux.
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6/6/2020 - dlcass Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite delicious.
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5/28/2020 - sstein19 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light golden in color. Nose of hay, lemon, and honeycomb. Second nose is more of the same, grass, and wet stone. Light and crisp with a smooth mouthfeel.
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5/1/2020 - sstein19 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light in color with golden color. First nose of lemon, melon, hay. Second. Use is more of the same and more intense. Notes of steel and pear. Sweet and smooth with dry finish.
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4/27/2020 - redhead6971 Likes this wine: 92 Points
I felt like I needed a little Illumination this weekend and what a better way than to get some from Augustin Huneeus and Quintessa vineyards. This project was originally started by Augustin in 2002, as a side project to experiment with Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc Musque and Semillion. Illumination is made in very small quantities it is usually reserved for restaurants but some showed up here in market (Wichita) and I have wanted to try it. I couldn’t find the percentages of the varietal blend but it does state that 49% of the fruit was from Napa and 51% was from Sonoma. The wine had a pale straw, yellow color with moderate legs. On the nose right off I got honeysuckle, lemon curd, white peach, some cantaloupe and some jasmine. On the palate I noticed more white peach, grapefruit, cantaloupe with an excellent balance between fruit and the acidity. The finish was right on finishing with a nice zing of grapefruit, lemon, lime and more white peaches. Delicious and in its prime drinking window and will age 2-3 more years lasting until 2023 if properly cellared. 92 points. I picked mine up from Auburn Wine East(Wichita Kansas market) for about $45. A great step up if your looking for a Bordeaux style white blend or a mid tier complex white. I had mine with some grilled Haddock and it was excellent.
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4/24/2020 - Ricktim wrote: 96 Points
Always brings a smile to my face. Light tropical notes on the nose, melon, lemon. Well balanced taste profile.
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3/7/2020 - RoyaltyCoins wrote: 90 Points
Platinum in the glass
Nose: Gooseberries and a hint of lemon peel, reserved projection.
Mouth: Shows a core of light lemon curd scored with flashes of semi-ripe pineapple and a light acid edge, leading a easy finish of lightly toasted baking spice, verbena, and powdered mineral.
Overall: This is pretty, exhibiting unified notes following from that lemon meringue center. Not hugely complex, but a fine effort showing good body and balance. Harmonious. 100% Sauvignon Blanc.
90
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1/25/2020 - gmugar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bright and nicely acidic. Bell pepper and lychee with a slight honeysuckle finish.
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1/2/2020 - MikeJK Likes this wine: 91 Points
50/50 Napa/Sonoma fruit which comes through in the flavor profile. Lemon/lime and tree fruit, not quite tropical but still high acid to maintain a lively balance. Concentration and intensity on nose and palate are also satisfying. Body is medium plus and agree with earlier notes that mouthfeel is creamy for an SB. Certainly a new world wine but well done and appealing to Francophiles like myself.
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10/31/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Same notes as before. Just the right citrus bite to offset a good artisanal garlic chicken Caesar salad......no overbearing grapefruit, just a nice acidic lemon-lime.
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9/21/2019 - RockyII Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very pale straw yellow, bordering on clear. Nose and taste dominated by grapefruit and other citrus but with some sweeter notes of nectarine and unripened pear. Semi dry and medium acidity. Medium bodied. Nice wine. About 89-90.
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8/14/2019 - BadOyster wrote: 92 Points
Trade in some of the plushness of the 2016 for a brisket acidity on the finish. Still a nice california SB and good QPR at $33 (probably worth the usual $40 tariff).
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6/27/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great white grapefruit on the nose, a little green apple in the mouth with it, with a silky, creamy mouthfeel and wonderful mouthwatering acidity. A really nice entry for the Sav Blanc crowd.....some tropical fruits in the middle and on the end. Just a great bargain drinker for under $30.
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6/1/2019 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Another nice bottle with good weight in the mouth, a smidge of malo up front only but nicely balanced fruit and acidity with plenty of grapefruit, green apple and quince. Obtained locally for around $28. Can't beat it at that price.
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5/21/2019 - fredman wrote: 89 Points
Grapefruit, mango, pineapple, apple. Drink or hold.
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5/11/2019 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Retailer tasting. Lots of tropical fruit on the nose and palate. Not as much obvious acidity as the Ghost Block, but it's there, giving a bit of backbone and lift. Tropical fruit lingers through the finish. A much different style, but enjoyable for what it is.
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6/22/2018 - sstein19 Likes this wine: 87 Points
Nose of lemon, hay, and grass. Candied citrus and smooth on the palate. Could sit for another year.
Tough one as we were drinking out of plastic.
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