2009 FUMÉ BLANC NAPA VALLEY BY ROBERT MONDAVI HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY WHOM YOU KNOW
As the weather gets even warmer and we continue to enjoy quite the temperate winter in New York, we keep our eyes peeled for fantastic white wines to ease into nicer weather with and one of our current favorites is the smashing 2009 Fume Blanc Napa Valley by Robert Mondavi. It has a fresh crisp flavor that is inviting yet versatile which we believe makes it a prime candidate to pair with a variety of dishes or just simply sip it during a cocktail party with crudites! The composition makes sense and of course, we love that it is an exemplary American wine. Notes of fruit are at just the right level without being overwhelming. Be sure to have this on hand for your cocktail parties this spring!
"This is a signature Fumé Blanc made in the classic style first developed by Mr. Mondavi: Opulently fruit-forward with a vibrancy balanced by creamy texture and generous weight into the long, impressive finish."
-Genevieve Janssens - Director of Winemaking
•WINE•
Varietal composition:
90% Sauvignon Blanc
10% Semillon
Flavor descriptors:
Plush, exotic aromas of guava, passion fruit and verbena layer over flavors of ripe white peaches and nectarines on the palate, wrapped in mouth-watering acidity and extending into a lively finish.
Wine analysis:
Total acid: .67 g /L
Final pH: 3.14
Residual sugar: .69 g/L
Alcohol: 13.8% by volume
•VINTAGE•
The 2009 harvest was interrupted in mid-October when a rare tropical storm—a blow-over from Typhoon Melor—soaked parts of the Central and Northern California vineyards. Nearly 4.4 inches of rain fell over 3 days. Fortunately, because we had finished harvesting all of the white grape varieties and 91 percent of the reds, this vintage was spared. All the Sauvignon Blanc was harvested under ideal conditions after a quintessential August of foggy days, which kept the acids bright, while the long hang-time allowed for full flavor development. We picked the grapes for this wine from August 17 to September 4, 2009.
•Vineyards•
The majority of grapes came from Robert Mondavi Winery’s Wappo Hill Vineyard in the Stags Leap District and Robert Mondavi Winery’s famed To Kalon Vineyard in the Oakville District. The fruit from the Stags Leap District contributes flavors such as citrus and fresh anise. The Oakville Sauvignon Blanc grapes add tropical and floral notes to the flavor profile, while imparting richness. While Sauvignon Blanc is highly influenced by terroir (a combination of climate, site and soil), it is also very sensitive to cultivation techniques. We foster its myriad flavors in the vineyard with clonal selection, state-of-the-art vertical trellising, and canopy management.
Appellation: Napa Valley
Grape Sourcing: 49% Stags Leap District (46% Wappo Hill Vineyard), 33% Oakville (30% To Kalon Vineyard), 13% Napa Valley, 5% Northern California vineyards
•winemaking•
The hand-harvested grapes were gently whole-cluster-pressed to capture the vibrant fruit character. Sixty percent of the juice was barrel-fermented in sixty-gallon French oak barrels, with the balance fermented in stainless steel tanks. To enhance creaminess and integrated flavors, the wine was stirred (batonage) and aged sur lie (on the yeast lees) in French oak barrels. The wine was bottled May 2010.
