Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc 2019 Napa Valley, California, USA 75cl

Robert Mondavi built his Napa Valley winery in 1966, the first major cellar to rise in the valley after Prohibition, and spent the rest of his life pushing California wine towards the world stage. Few of his ideas proved as lasting as the one behind this bottle.

In 1968 Mondavi took his dry, barrel-aged Sauvignon Blanc and renamed it Fumé Blanc, a nod to the Loire’s Pouilly-Fumé. The new name signalled a more serious style and, in time, changed how America thought about the grape. This Napa Valley bottling stays true to that idea, a Sauvignon Blanc rounded out with a little Semillon and given a light touch of oak rather than the zippy, unoaked style found elsewhere.

The 2019 growing season in Napa was a settled, even year, and the wine reflects that balance between ripeness and freshness. Grapes picked in good condition give it both generosity and cut.

Expect aromas of citrus, melon and a little fig, with the gentle smoky, flinty note that gives the wine its name. The palate is dry and textured, the oak kept subtle so the fruit stays in front, and it closes clean and fresh at 13.5% alcohol. There is enough weight to hold the table without ever tipping into richness.

This is a benchmark expression of a style Mondavi effectively invented, and it remains one of the winery’s signature wines. It is a fine match for grilled fish, roast chicken, or fresh goat’s cheese, and an easy recommendation for anyone who thinks they already know what Sauvignon Blanc can do.