2009 Chateau St Jean Fumé Blanc Sonoma County

The Vineyards
The grapes for this wine were selected from vineyards in the Alexander Valley, Knights Valley, Sonoma Valley and Russian River Valley appellations. The fruit from these regions gives the wine ripe melon and fig flavors and lends lemongrass and dried herb notes to achieve a blend with a nice balance of fruit and herbal spice flavors.

Winemaking
This Fumé Blanc is Sauvignon Blanc blended with a small amount of 10% Semillon and 1% Viognier. The components remained separate throughout the winemaking process and were blended together to add complexity to the final wine. The majority of the wine (67%) was tank fermented to retain the forward fruit flavors. The remaining 33% of the blend was barrel fermented in a combination of French and American oak and aged sur lie.

Winetasting Comments
Vibrant aromas of fresh Asian pear, sweet citrus and blossom jump from the glass. The nose leads to a refreshing palate with distinct Fume Blanc flavors of juicy fruit and floral notes. The addition of Semillion to the blend adds a sweet red apple flavor to this refreshing and crisp wine. The finish is long and clean with a lemon zest note.