Since 1969, restaurant, hotel, travel & other witty reviews by a handpicked, worldwide team of discerning professionals—and your views, too.





Robert Mondavi Winery 2008 Fumé Blanc Reserve -- Wine Review

Napa Valley, California

Our Selection for Wine of the Week August 30, 2010


A bottle of Robert Mondavi 2008 Fume Blanc Reserve, our Wine of the Week review

Artfully Sourced
Robert Mondavi Winery
2008 Fumé Blanc Reserve

California

Robert Mondavi is the premier name in California wine. And although the grandfather of American wine passed away in 2008, his namesake winery carries on his tradition of making some of America’s finest bottlings. And, as Mr. Mondavi would have been the first to say, the success of the famous winery’s product really starts in the vineyards. To Kalon, for example, from which the grapes for Mondavi’s Fumé Reserve are sourced, is one of the stars that helps uphold the Mondavi name. Most of To Kalon’s vines are more than 30 years old—making it one of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vineyards in the entire Napa Valley. It was Robert Mondavi who coined the name “Fumé Blanc” and, as the style’s pioneers, the winemaking team at Mondavi takes its Fumé very seriously. The 2008 Reserve is an elegant, well-balanced wine made from To Kalon Sauvignon Blanc with just a touch of Semillon for added body. On the nose, aromas of passion fruit and citrus are luscious. In the mouth, the wine offers restrained tropical fruit flavors intermingled with lemongrass, melon and a hint of toast. A wine with subtlety and nuance, it will pair well with most foods. Try it with delicate white fish or shellfish, faintly spicy Thai food, rustic pasta dishes or a plate of goat’s milk cheeses with a simple herb salad.

Rating: 14.5/20
Price:
$40


Other Sauvignon Blanc Wines we have tasted
Check out our California Travel Guide

For more information, visit www.robertmondavi.com






Read about the wine world's most influential critic: Robert Parker, Jr.


PMS082310
(Updated: 08/25/10 MS)


Sip on GAYOT's picks of the best small-production craft beers.

Sip straight or mix up a margarita with GAYOT's picks of the best tequilas under $100.