Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma, La Petite Etoile Vineyard – Russian River Valley, Fumé Blanc, 2008.
I feel very lucky that when my family celebrates we do so with a nice bottle of wine. The gift of a great bottle usually means a great dinner and long after the bottle is emptied, a late night of great conversation. Love of wine is something I share with my parents, and while each member of my family appreciates wine from a different perspective, a standout bottle is something we can unanimously enjoy.
We celebrated Father’s Day this year with Chateau St. Jean’s Fumé Blanc (2008). The nose was packed with lemongrass, ripe melon, burnt butter, and just enough minerals to keep the butter from over powering. The first pour had this musty, cheese rind smell that mellowed as the wine warmed up and opened. Chateau St. Jean’s website also lists green tea in the nose. Buttery lemongrass, melon, and light citrus persisted in the mouth. The mustiness of the wine smelled so interesting that even my “red’s only” mother had her nose stuck in a glass, rooting out that appealing smell.
Fumé Blanc is Sauvignon Blanc’s lesser-known alias. Coined by California’s Robert Mondavi in the late 60’s, “Fumé Blanc” represented a style of winemaking similar to Loire Valley’s Pouilly-Fumé. These days, only some Californian winemakers use the term “Fumé,” most sticking with the more recognizable “Sauvignon.”
“Fumé” pays homage to the thick morning fog of Pouilly-Fumé. I had to admit, I felt connected to this bottle. I wasn’t ready to embrace Newfoundland’s fog and cold when I moved back after four years of living in Ontario. A year later, I still scowl at the fog rolling in off the Atlantic. The fog that lingers in the morning in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley is a much more welcoming sight. Winemakers at Chateau St. Jean embraced this fog and the afternoon cool ocean breezes by planting Fumé Blanc and Pinot Noir in their La Petite Etoile Vineyard. The fog and cool breezes from the ocean typically keep the temperature from going over 30oC. This helps grape sugars from over-developing and making sticky, overripe wines while preserving the necessary acidity to provide excellent structure.
Kobrand Wine and Spirits website has a great selection of maps that highlight winemaking regions. You can see that the Russian River Valley is in the southern part of Sonoma, but still very close to the Pacific Ocean. La Petite Etoile Vineyard is located in Russian River Valley’s northern section. Most of the valley is made up of sandstone called Goldridge loam soil created from volcanic ash falling on shallow ocean floor. When the Russian River changed its southern direction and headed west, it carried sand, silt, and clay to new areas of the valley. Now the Russian River Valley can boast their unique soil composition and history while boasting about their wines. Despite these favorable growing conditions, Sauvignon Blanc only accounts for about 4% of planted varietals within the Russian River Valley. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir dominate the valley’s planted varietals.
The wine was a fantastic addition to our Father’s Day celebration. I found a little jar of duck foie gras mousse with truffles and that lasted about as long as our bottle of Fumé Blanc!
References:
Chateau St. Jean: La Petite Etoile Vineyard, Russian River Valley
Kobrand Wine and Spirits: Sonoma
Russian River Valley Winegrowers: Climate & Geography
Russian River Valley Winegrowers: Grape Varieties of Russian River Valley
fogburnoff 