2021 Robert Mondavi Winery Fume Blanc To Kalon I Block

Got to try a rare wine recently during our Napa trip at Arch and Tower for our Schrader tasting. It was a 2020 Robert Mondavi Winery Fume Blanc To-Kalon I Block. This is a single-block of the To Kalon vineyard and are the oldest plantings of Sauvignon Blanc in America at ~80 years old. Only 200 cases of this are made each year and it's not sold in stores or purchasable from Mondavi unless you are a long time established member. We got to try this because Constellation now owns Mondavi and Schrader and they are letting members of Schrader experience some of Mondavi's top cuvees when you come for a visit.

I love Sauvignon Blanc (Fume Blanc is just a name Mondavi used for this varietal) and this wine did not disappoint. On the nose and palate it has the typical tropical fruit but also honey, beeswax, and a slight minerality in the finish. What makes this wine special is the texture and tension between the freshness and lushness of it's combinations of aromas and flavors. I'm planning to push into tasting some of the standard bearers in Sauvignon Blanc in 2025 and this was an unexpected but lovely start!

https://www.jamessuckling.com/wine-tasting-reports/our-wine-choice-robert-mondavi-winery-fume-blanc-napa-valley-oakville-to-kalon-vineyard-i-block-2019