2018 Fumé Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley


Retail: $ 31.00

Out of stock

Member Only

Join & Save up to 20%

The Wine

In  1968, Miljenko “Mike” Grgich went  to work for Robert Mondavi as chief enologist, making the inaugural release of “Fume Blanc”. This elegant, dry style of oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc was named “Fume Blanc” by Robert Mondavi, playing on the French word meaning smoke. At Grgich Hills Estate, Mike continued to make this elevated style of Sauvignon Blanc, paying homage to his former employer and friend.

Relying on naturally-occurring yeasts, we fermented a portion of the grapes in 900-gallon French oak casks, called foudres, with the remainder in oak barrels. We then aged the wine for six months on its lees (the spent yeast) in neutral barrels.

On the front palate, this wine opens with notes of green apple, lemon grass and snap peas, where undertones of flint and minerals begin to develop. It exhibits a mouth­ watering freshness and structure on the attack, a great complexity on the mid-palate with fresh and tangy fruit characteristics and a linear and unwavering acid structure building the frame. It  is a wine of enormous precision and minerality with a finish that evokes the crystal-clear serenity of an Alpine mountain stream on a cool summer morning.

Vintage

The 2018 vintage was a bountiful vintage marked by cool, consistent temperatures and a timely rainfall for bud break in March and April. Harvest began on September tenth, and the grapes were of the highest quality with lower alcohol and high acidity.

Vineyard

We grow Sauvignon Blanc grapes in our American Canyon and Carneros vineyards in the southern tip of Napa Valley, near San Francisco Bay. The clay soils retain water, allowing us to dry farm, and the coolness slows ripening and retains acidity. The grapes develop a crisp liveliness that is impossible to achieve in warmer areas. About 80% of our Sauvignon Blanc is planted to the Musque clone, which provides elegant  floral  aromatics. We farm all our vineyards naturally, without artificial pesticides or herbicides, and they are certified organic.

Winemaker's Notes

Alcohol

13.5%

Fermentation

indigenous yeast

Harvest date

Sept. 10-21, 2018

Sugar

22.1 Brix average

Bottling date

April 9-24, 2019

Release Date

March 2021

Total acid

8.1 g/L

pH

3.13

Blend

100% Sauvignon Blanc