Sips: Mondavi’s Classic “To Kalon Vineyard” Fumé Blanc Reserve

For those who don’t mind spending $40 on an excellent California sauvignon blanc, Robert Mondavi’s 2009 Napa Valley “To Kalon  Vineyard” Fumé Blanc Reserve hits it out of the park. The just-released new vintage of this Napa classic sets a standard for barrel-aged California sauvignon. Extravagant yet beautifully balanced (even with alcohol at 14.2 or 14.5 depending on whether you read the fact sheet or the label). It’s complex yet effortless to drink. Pear, apricot, flower and herb notes are framed in subtle oak with Meyer lemon on the finish. The wine is rich but not overpowering thanks to bright acidity. The blend is 98 percent sauvignon and two percent sémillon. Though 100 percent of the juice was barrel fermented in French oak, only one quarter of the barrels were  new, averting the dreaded sauvignon-dressed-in-chardonnay-clothing quality. A natural with the brininess of Easter hams or richer seafood sauces. Quite irresistible. About 1,800 cases produced. (Fumé blanc, by the way, was the name Mondavi invented years ago for its barrel-aged sauvignons.) Received as a press sample.

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