Press & Articles
WINE ADVOCATE (December 2007) Robert Parker
90 Pts - 2005 Luna Vineyards Sangiovese
($24) With everyone ripping out Sangiovese because it was largely a failure, it is good to see Luna turn out a sexy, medium ruby-colored 2005 Sangiovese with the complexity and personality of a top-notch Pinot Noir. Of course, this is Sangiovese, but there’s not a hard edge to it, and the acidity is perhaps lower than one might find from Italy, but there is beautiful berry fruit as well as some spice. It is an altogether friendly wine that is opulent but not heavy or tiring. It should be drunk over the next several years.
“...it is good to see Luna turn out a sexy, medium ruby colored 2005 Sangiovese…”
Wine Spectator Online
Sauvignon Blanc: Diversity & Value
WINE SPECTATOR (November 2007) James Laube
91 Pts - 2004 Luna Vineyards Napa Valley Merlot
($40) “Bold aromas of blackberry and smoky oak open to plush cassis and spice flavors…”
WINE SPECTATOR (June 15, 2007) James Laube
92 Pts - 2004 Luna Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley($80) Exquisite balance, with ripe, rich, concentrated fruit that's deep and profound without being heavy. Tiers of currant, black cherry and smoky, toasty oak are well-proportioned, finishing with a long, integrated finish. Drink now through 2013. 800 cases
USA Today, Jerry Shriver, December 2007
2006 Luna Vineyards Pinot Grigio
“...purity, refinement and a focused approach to inemaking. It has just the right amount of fruit flavors…”
CONNOISSEURS' GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA WINES
89 Pts - Highly Recommended - 2004 Napa Valley Merlot (December 2007)
($40) “...shows distinct varietal character with good depth of fruit and very appealing to taste now…”
90 Pts - 2005 Luna Vineyards Pinot Grigio Napa Valley (September 2007)
($18) This big, ripe, well-extracted wine has little to do with its name-sakes from Italy, and its richness and sheer size are far more the stuff of its Alsatian cousins. It smacks of ripe peaches, apricots and honey, yet eschews even a hint of candied sweetness. It ranks among the more serious efforts of this survey.
INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR (May/June 2007) Stephen Tanzer
90 Pts - 2005 Luna Vineyards Pinot Grigio Napa County
($18) Pale golden color. Aromas of hay, orange, smoke and spices. Juicy, dry and classic, with very good intensity; broad but not thick. Finishes quite long, with subtle notes of orange peel and spice.
92 Pts - 2005 Luna Vineyards Freakout White Wine California
($25; 32% sauvignon blanc, 29% chardonnay, 29% pinot grigio and 10% tocai friulano; the sauvignon and tocai are fermented with their skins and punched down like red wine) Medium gold. Rather oily aromas of orange, hay, nutmeg and floral oils. Rich, broad and spicy but maintains lovely penetration and cut. Gives an impression of sweet soft citrus fruit but this is definitely dry, at less than two grams r.s. per liter. Brisk acids and firm minerality extend the finish and give this wine considerable sex appeal. A very successful blend. Winemaker Mike Drash suggests pairing it with light fish and shellfish preparations done with cilantro or lime.
91 Pts - 2004 Luna Vineyards Merlot Howell Mountain
($70; from a 12-acre vineyard at about 2,000 feet) Bright ruby-red. Highly complex aromas of cassis, lead pencil, minerals, bitter chocolate and wild herbs. Ripe and fruity but with lovely ripe acidity leavening its sweetness; conveys the concentration and creaminess that comes from small berries. This combines an almost cabernet-like structure with the more pliant texture of merlot. Finishes long and firmly tannic. Drash calls this his Le Pin. This may ultimately merit an even higher rating.
91 Pts - 2004 Luna Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
($70; a blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon, 15% merlot and 10% cabernet franc; aged 22 months in barrel) Good deep ruby-red. Deep, rich aromas of liqueur-like black raspberry, graphite and bitter chocolate. Very ripe and concentrated but not porty, with intriguing notes of wild herbs, mocha and spices. A major mouthful of wine, finishing with big, broad, dusty tannins. The cabernet sauvignon comes from an east-facing vineyard on top of Atlas Peak, at an elevation of 2,200 feet, while the cabernet franc and merlot are from Howell Mountain.
93 Pts - 2004 Luna Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley
($100; includes 7% cabernet franc and 3% merlot; from a vineyard on Crystal Springs Road, at an altitude of 1,200 feet) Good deep ruby. Bright, minerally nose combines cassis, black cherry, menthol, graphite, meat and bitter chocolate. Sweet, lush, dense and gripping; this is really packed with fruit. An impressively chewy, full cabernet that finishes with ripe tannins and terrific lingering sweetness of fruit. This vineyard is actually on the lower slopes of Howell Mountain. Superb.
91-94 Pts - 2005 Luna Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
(2% merlot from Carneros will be added) Bright ruby-red. Lively, complex, claret-like aromas of currant, graphite, licorice, tobacco and mint. Then juicy, penetrating and tightly wound, with a silky texture and noteworthy elegance. The firm tannins arrive late, allowing this solidly structured wine to expand nicely on the back. One senses that the winery did a very good job choosing when to harvest.
91-94 Pts - 2005 Luna Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Napa Valley
(from low-yielding young vines near Yountville) Bright ruby-red. Pungent, dark aromas of cassis, lead pencil, minerals, licorice and cocoa powder. Intensely flavored and precise…currant and mineral flavors. Finishes with building tannins. Drash did 40 to 45 days of maceration in 05, including 25 days after the end of the fermentation.
