A review of Chateau St. Jean 2007 Fume Blanc

Chateau St. Jean is a well respected California winery from Sonoma County. While they produce both red and white wines, they are best known for their white wines. Fume (which means 'smoke') blanc is the same thing as sauvignon blanc. Robert Mondavi came up with name "fume blanc" in the 60's when he started aging his sauvignon blanc in oak. He felt that the time spent in oak gave the wine a smoky characteristic, and the name was born. Several other wineries now use the term fume blanc instead of sauvignon blanc as well. This wine retails for $13.00, but can often be found for around on sale for around $10.00.

This is a wine that I buy often. It is consistently good from vintage and is an excellent value for the price. You won't find many better white wines in this price range. This wine pairs perfectly with chicken, fish, seafood, and light pasta dishes. The 2007 Chateau St. Jean was blended with a small amount of Semillon and Viognier. It is crisp and refreshing, offering aromas of melon, pear, and hints of spice. On the palate you'll detects flavors of citrus and apricot. As the "fume" part of the name implies, there's also a nice touch of smoke from the time spent in oak.

The wine is nicely balanced between acidity, fruit, and alcohol. For what it's worth, Wine Spectator rated it 90 pts. The Wine Advocate rated it 89 points.

It's a shame that more people aren't drinking sauvignon blanc. While it remains a relatively popular varietal, it has not seen expansive new plantings in California like Chardonnay has. The reality is that in most California viticultural areas, planting Chardonnay, Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon will return more money to the grower. The good news is that there are still some excellent Sauvignon Blanc wines being made in California. The 2007 Chateau St. Jean is certainly one of them.

I recommended the 2007 Chateau St. Jean Fume Blanc as both a good wine and a good value.


FYI: Sauvignon blanc is the grape in France that is used, alone or with a touch of Semillion, to produce both dry and sweet wines in Graves and Sauternes.