 |
| Robert Mondavi's entrance gate |
Two years ago, I was lucky to travel to Napa Valley for the first time in my life and I totally felt in love with the valley. Tough I visited many different vineyards; Robert Mondavi’s winery was by far one of my favorite wine tastings ever. I chose their “Twilight Tour” which is a 90 minutes tour and tasting at the time when the sun sets over the valley. A Wine Educator takes you to the cellars and teaches you about the whole wine process and concludes at the edge of the To Kalon Vineyard with an amazing tasting and artisanal cheese board. Definitely, a very Mondavi moment!
But at the beginning of the tour, we were gathered outside in the vineyard and our Wine Educator Peter brought for all of us some bottles of their unique Fumé Blanc. According to him, the term “Fumé Blanc” was a made-up name created by Robert Mondavi in the sixties to assign his own blend of Sauvignon Blanc (92%) and Semilion (8%). The French word “Fumé” means “smoke” but that is not related to the wine in itself; it refers to a thick fog that you experience early in the morning in the Loire Valley (France) where most of the Sauvignon Blancs are produced.
The Fumé Blanc is in fact a drier version of the typical Sauvignon Blanc. It is fermented in French oak barrels first and then it is transferred to stainless steel barrels to retain its freshness. It offers intense aromas of lemongrass, lime blossoms, hints of sage and spice. Its color is bright, clear and almost pale and it definitely tastes out of this world!
Have you ever had a magical experience?
I did; and it was at that amazing sunset in October at Robert Mondavi’s winery.
No comments:
Post a Comment