Robert Mondavi established his namesake winery in 1966 with a vision to create Napa Valley wines that would stand in the company of the world’s finest. He choseTo Kalon Vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley as the home for Robert Mondavi Winery. This first-growth vineyard, located in Oakville, California, is renowned for producing some of the finestCabernet Sauvignon wines in the world, as well as for its Sauvignon Blanc grapes, from which Mr. Mondavi crafted his signature wine,Fumé Blanc.
2015 started warmer and drier than usual, without a drop of rain in January. The dry conditions continued well into April with some early irrigation in the vineyards. A cooler May reduced fruit set and provided the first signs of a lighter crop for the vintage. The harvest brought in fruit at optimal flavor maturity before a series of heat waves hit the valley. Overall, the 2015 harvest is one of the earliest on record. The sauvignon blanc and sémillon grapes for our Oakville District Fumé Blanc were picked between August 14th and August 24th.
Winemaker Notes
We hand-harvested the Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon in the cool, early morning and then gently pressed the whole clusters, minimizing skin contact, to retain freshness and vibrancy in the wine. For richness and complexity, we barrel fermented 90% of the wine in 60-gallon French oak barrels. The wine was then barrel aged on its lees (sûr lie) for nine months with hand stirring (bâtonnage) to integrate flavors and develop its creamy texture. A portion of new barrels (8%) contributes subtle oak spices to the fruit character. The wine was bottled in July, 2016.
A great Fume!
Good acidity and a nice round mouthfeel.
Flint, grapefruit rind, and citrus curd on the nose with a slight note of rubber/sweet onion (not to be concerning thought). Passion fruit and guava on the pallet with lemon, pine and juniper. Long toasty vanilla finish.
Asian flavour profile works well with this wine. It was great with asian glazed chicken wings. We kept the wings umami focused and not to spicy as the spice with the acidity on this wine may have created chaos on the plate.
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