Winemaker Notes
Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2007!
This Fume Blanc is Sauvignon Blanc blended with a small amount of Semillon and Viognier. The vineyards for this wine were selected from Knights Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian RiverValley in Sonoma County. The fruit from these regions gives the wine the ripe melon, citrus and fig flavors toachieve a blend with a balance of fruit and herbal spice characters.
"This lively and refreshing Fume Blanc offers bright aromas of grapefruit, melon andlemongrass. The Semillon contributes a hint of sweet red apple that combines with thevibrant citrus, fig and spice characters found on the palate, creating a beautifully balancedwine with a long, lingering finish."
-Margo Van Staaveren, Winemaker
"A textural delight, with fresh, vibrant white peach, melon and lemon-lime citrus flavors that are fragrant, fleshy and rich, with a whiff of fresh-cut grass and juicy acidity. The flavors echo on the long finish."
Wine Spectator
91 Points
Professional Ratings
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.