Long Live Fumé!

Believe it or not, there are some hum drum days in the wine business. Endless phone calls, meetings, sales planning, financial worriesI 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!

By Kim on February 29, 2008 9:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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) 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.

Long Live Fumé!

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