The Original Fume Blanc

Do you and your guests prefer a crisper yet still nuanced white wine?   Try a California original:   the 2011 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc (Oakville).  Years ago Mondavi opted to call its Sauvignon Blanc wines “Fume Blanc”, and this 2011 Oakville offering is their best of the year sourced from classic Napa Valley vines, and in the view of Wine Enthusiast, “one of their best ever.”  The 2011 Fume Blanc is quite dry, has plenty of cleansing acidity to pair with rich holiday side dishes and contains a touch of oak for complexity.  The nose shows classic Sauvignon notes of lemon, pink grapefruit and tropical fruits, and the velvet finish seems to just linger for minutes.  A remarkable effort by Robert Mondavi, this white wine is widely available for $32.   WineEnthusiast thinks so highly of the 2011 Oakville Fume Blanc that it named the wine an Editor’s Choice and awarded it a classic 95 rating.   Not many $30 wines are awarded that rarefied air, wine sleuths!