Luna Vineyards Freakout White

2007 Light golden color with an enticing nose of ripe pear and hints of lemon. On the palate, the mouthwatering acidity of lemon zest mingles with baked bread and coconut milk, accented by a good dose of minerality. The finish is a delicious blend of pears and vanilla.

Additional Information

Mike Moone and George Vare co-founded Luna Vineyards in 1995. When they first laid eyes on the Luna property, they instantly recognized the magic, and the amazing potential of its estate vineyards. Plus, it was perfectly located along the Silverado Trail. So they bought the property and followed their dream, building a winery that paid tribute to the varietals that set Napa Valley apart. They also planted visionary varietals like Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese, which weren’t then well known in Napa Valley.

At Luna, they not only have access to amazing vineyard sites throughout Napa Valley, they also use handcrafted, artisanal techniques for picking, sorting, and crushing the fruit, and beautiful French oak barrels for aging it. From the organic farming methods that sustain the rich and biodiverse ecosystem of their Estate Vineyard to the dense rocky subsoil of our Game Farm Vineyard to the thin red soil known as Rutherford Dust that characterizes the Chafen Vineyard, Luna Vineyards believe that the most important part of winemaking actually happens in the vineyard. Consequently, their winemaking team maintains a deep and abiding respect for the land, tilling the soil as little as possible, and restricting the use of chemicals and fertilizers. Hand picking and sorting techniques are complemented by proven practices of native yeast fermentation and extended maceration, which combine to yield exceptional results.

Looking to challenge the traditional ways of winemaking on the Italian-Slovenian border, maverick Friuli winemakers began experimenting with new styles of winemaking, creating exciting white wine blends. When George Vare, one of Luna’s founders, and our winemakers tasted these exotic white wines, you could say they freaked out.

The 2007 Freakout blend is composed of 35% Chardonnay, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Pinot Grigio and 7% Ribolla Gialla. The Chardonnay comes from a 37-year old Napa Valley vineyard, located at 2,200 feet on Mt. Veeder. This dry-farmed vineyard yields grapes with great natural acidity. The Sauvignon Blanc comes from a new source this year, a 20-year old vineyard near Zinfandel Lane in St. Helena. The Pinot Grigio was grown on the Luna Vineyards Estate Vineyard. Elsa’s Vineyard, owned by George and Elsa Vare, was the source of the Ribolla Gialla, as it is the only vineyard in America planted with this Italian varietal.

The 2007 growing season was consistently 85 degrees, near-perfect for ripening, but picking was interrupted in September with a run of cooler weather. All varietals came in close to Labor Day, except the Chardonnay, which was brought into the winery in late September. The secret of Freakout is in the innovative winemaking. Each varietal is treated individually, and then married together two months before bottling, to create the ultimate blend. To promote the aromatics of the wine, the Chardonnay begins fermentation in tanks before moving to French oak barrels. Most of the Sauvignon Blanc is fermented in stainless steel tanks also, but a small portion is fermented in barrel on the skins like a red wine, and punched down twice a day until fermentation is completed. Some of the Pinot Grigio is fermented in stainless steel for a crisp, lively finish and the rest goes to neutral French oak barrels. The distinctive Ribolla Gialla is aged in small oak barrels and it provides the finished wine with weight, texture and minerality.