Long Live Fumé!

Believe it or not, there are some hum drum days in the wine business. Endless phone calls, meetings, sales planning, financial worries…I could go on and on.

But today was one of those days that reminded me how lucky I am to come to work each day in an actual winery.

We had been tasting through some of our older Fumé Blancs to determine how well they’ve stood the test of time. Whites are not generally recognized for longevity and yet, I was raised on the notion that SB does indeed age well. So far, our favorites were the 1989, 1997, and 1998 DCV 3 (single vineyard). We hadn’t really considered going back to the 1970’s, as we have so few bottles left. And by the looks of the moldy old labels, they weren’t all that appealing.

Then, on a lark, someone pulled a bottle of 1973 Fumé Blanc. This was our second vintage and of course, it was made by the BIG Daddy himself.  (I was 10 years old at the time.)  None of us expected much-- but WOW we were wrong! Imagine a 35 year old Sauvignon Blanc that still knocks your socks off. Even winemaker Lisa was impressed, and in my experience, winemakers have a hard time admiring wines they didn’t have a hand in.
 

 1973 Fumé Blanc

The color was brilliant and golden. It was juicy and lively with aromas of rosemary, thyme, green olive and Meyer lemons. And then I remembered something my father once told me about older Fumé Blancs. “A well aged Sauvignon Blanc should smell like a great old Italian delicatessen.” And, that
is exactly what this relic wine smelled like.


So, for those of you who have an older Dry Creek Fumé Blanc hanging
around, don’t despair. Pop the cork and you just might be in for a wonderful surprise!

| | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

0 TrackBacks

Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry:
Long Live Fumé!.

TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.wilmaswineworld.com/cgi/www2007/mt4/mt-tb.cgi/20

2 Comments


bowie said:
February 29, 2008 10:41 AM

I know i is heinous to mention french wines-- but think about some of the
wines from the loire. They age amazingly well. Glad you enjoyed your 1973
fume blanc.


Kim (aka Wilma) Author Profile Page said:
February 29, 2008 5:57 PM

You're absolutely right! In fact, one of my fondest wine memories was a tasting we did in the Loire that included wines from the 1930's. Boy- was that an eye opener.

Leave a comment

Hopes & Dreams

Owning a Coastal Cottage

Sailing for 6 Months

Getting a 100 Point Score


Favorite Haunts

Coast of Maine

Dry Creek General Store

Dry Creek Kitchen

Ravenous

Healdsburg Bar & Grill

Sonoma Country Antiques

The Farmhouse

Zizi

Bad Ass Coffee

Bistro Ralph


Bits of Press

Food & Wine Magazine

The Wine News

Wine Enthusiast

Wine Spectator

Press Democrat

Sunset Magazine

Connoisseurs' Guide

Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences

2008 Sonoma County Harvest Fair

Oprah Magazine

The Washington Post

Coastal Living Magazine

Wine & Spirits Magazine

People Magazine

SAG Awards Magazine


Favorite Magazines

Coastal Living

Down East

Sunset

Country Living

Quarterly Review of Wines

Wines & Vines

Wine Spectator

Wine Enthusiast

California Grapevine

Wine News

Connoisseurs' Guide

Practical Winery & Vineyard

WineReviewOnline

Vineyard & Winery Mgmt


Blog Buddy List

Fermentation

Hip Tastes

Pinot Blogger

All The Best

Julia Flynn Siler

Vinography

Winery Web Site Report

The Pour - Eric Asimov

Dr Vino

Steve Heimoff

Start Up Ladies

Good Wine Under $20

Blind Muscat

The Wineroad Blogspot

Gabe's View

Wine Peeps

Vici Vino

Cellarmistress' Cellar Talk

Uncork Life

WineVine-Imports Blog



Honorable Mentions

Fermentation
Wilma Hits The World of Blogs
Most Intriguing New Wine Blogs of 2008
Julia Flynn Siler
Meritage wines - and a fascinating glimpse into family business
Winery Web Site Report
New Winery Blog: Wilma's Wine World
Start Up Ladies
Insider’s View of Family Owned Dry Creek Vineyard
The Glue that Keeps the Whole Thing Going
Atlanta Dish
Blog of the Week
Blind Muscat
The Merits of Meritage
Wineries.net
Boston Wine Expo exhibitors, and the reason why winemakers are so darn happy