Operatives wake up! It is not often that we have a white of this caliber, with 40% savings and 95-points to boost? The Mondavi Reserve Fumé Blanc is not only from the singular white grown in the historic To Kalon Vineyard, but it also is one of the very few whites made in ‘Cult Cabland’ Oakville, period. Born in the olden and golden days of Robert Mondavi’s Napa Valley when he reinvented Sauvignon Blanc in the mid-1980s by barrel time in toasty new oak as “Fumé Blanc”, this everlasting classic is still made with his exact specifications and at an unsurpassed quality level thanks to the maturity of the pampered vines.

In appearance, this alluring white is pale lemon with white gold shades and streaks of lime green highlights. Fresh as daisies on the first whiff, with citron vanilla cream and mineral notes of river pebbles. The rich, viscous and plush mouthfeel brings luxury right to your palate on a golden platter. The long and complex finish is impressive, blooming with tangerine peel and spicy notes of ginger crème brûlée. The ideal accompaniment would be baked brie with almonds in puff pastry or chicken and mushroom vol-au-vents.

Put on some classic Julia Child episodes, who by the way adored this wine as one of Mondavi’s favorite people, dim the lights and sip the evening away with this delicacy of modern nostalgia. This is the real deal folks, when the late Mr. Robert Mondavi, the patriarch of Napa Valley’s fine wine heyday turned 100 on a breezy June afternoon back in 2013, this is the wine that was chosen for his centennial celebration toast, it is that special and iconic of a wine. Still a baby at age 5, these wines have an amazing track record of age-worthiness too. You just can’t go wrong, be it for special gatherings this summer or in the future.

Here’s what the wine press has to say:

95 points - Wine Enthusiast - “Editors’ Choice! From the beautiful, historic site planted to some of the oldest vines of the variety in Northern California, this delicious white explodes in juicy green apple and an intensity of fresh-squeezed lemon. That succulence lingers atop a lengthy, salty texture wrapped in subtle, supportive oak.”

92 points - Wine Advocate - ” Mondavi’s Fumé Blanc Reserve was one of the first high-quality Sauvignon Blancs – or as Mondavi called it, Fumé Blanc – in Napa, serving as a pioneering catalyst in the movement with this variety. The 2014 version is a beauty, with the texture of a Chardonnay, luscious honeysuckle, lemon blossom, and tangerine oil notes, medium body, beautiful concentration and purity, and a long, dry, authoritative finish. This is a winner.”