What is Fume Blanc

Ange: Alright, so we’re here at Reds with Taylor. The recent recipient of the wine tasting challenge here in Toronto, and we are talking about Fume blanc today. And Taylor, I know that this is a very interesting grape and people have a lot of questions really like what is Fume blanc? It’s only a blanc and what’s the Fume part and don’t necessarily know what the grape is and then what’s inside the bottle. So maybe you could give us you know after you pour us a nice glass, what actually is Fume blanc? How do you match it with food and you know what’s the great thing that this definitely in range is producing. Taylor Thompson: Alright, so the Fume part blanc is obviously the white. The Fume part comes originally from Pouilly Fumé of the Loire Valley and the smokiness— Ange: France, you’re talking about France. Taylor Thompson: Yes, I’m sorry the Loire Valley in France, the smokiness of the wine didn’t only come from the soils and the flintiness within the soils but it came from oaking the wines slightly. So, the Fume usually pertains to the wine having a little bit of oak. Ange: Okay. Taylor Thompson: Now, in Loire Valley in France, sometimes this wine is rarely haven’t been oaked at all and all the smokiness who have come from the soil and a case of peninsula reached the wines have been oaked. Ange: Okay, go ahead. Taylor Thompson: The beauty of the use of oak in this wine is that when you’re sipping the wine, it doesn’t come across oakey like a big Chardonnay or anything like that. This actually spends 10 months in brand new French oak barrels and then as of just having this beautiful roundness to it. A lot of Sauvignon blancs will have like a sharp acidity at first. Some people find that unpleasant and some people like it but this certainly has got something for everyone. It has a nice crispy acidity that doesn’t stir at all and the oak is really rounded at that. Ange: So notes to remember Fume blanc, Fume means it's been oaked and blanc meaning that that it's a Sauvignon blanc grape, it’s very important to know. So, Sauvignon blanc in the bottle but Sauvignon blanc, I noticed you traditionally would think I was being grassy and green noted and naturally not as imperious. Taylor Thompson: Exactly. Ange: Which I’m sure that’s potentially might. However, that doesn’t mean it has been oaked as a regular Sauvignon blanc, it has just been aged in stainless steel. Alright, so let’s grab ourselves a glass then. Taylor Thompson: Absolutely! Now, this is a great wine that goes into the LCBO every now and then but it's going to be kind of a lucky grab if you can pick this up because it has one word, ‘04, ‘06 and ‘07, Niagara’s best white wine here. Well, it’s worth about just over $20.00 for a bottle. Ange: So, it's just over $20.00 so it's premium but it's not ultra premium. It's in a nice price range to treat your self on a Saturday night. Taylor Thompson: One thing that you’ll hear me saying often is that Niagara has really come around with its red wines and they’re quite good and again grapes but the white wines are world class and this is one example of world class white wine from Niagara. As you can see this wine has got a little bit of a nice golden hue to it. That is attributed to the oak as Sauvignon blancs usually come across quite lights. Ange: And you do get a lot of really smooth French oak on the nose. Taylor Thompson: Yeah, just got a little bit in a second. Ange: Right, and you can paint it out like in a second, yeah. Taylor Thompson: Yeah. Ange: Fume Blanc, what would you traditionally expect on the palate? Taylor Thompson: Well, it certainly going to have mineral because these wines are made in an old world style as all wines are found from French jar. French wine making to the core, so instead of having that racy, grassy, fruity smell as you nose, this one has got more mineral, a little more subtle to it. Ange: Yeah, and you do get a little acidity on the nose but after trying that it's got a great balance. What a Sauvignon blanc should have is which that little bite at the back but then it has the full rounded texture of a little bit more creamy in your mouth, a little more medium bodied. Taylor Thompson: It's a great wine. Take it from us. It's a beautiful style. Ange: When do you got the French wine maker so you get all the history and satisfactory of a French wine maker within the French world, brought over to a new world setting and making his mark in the Canadian landscape. Taylor Thompson: Yeah. Ange: So this is obviously medium bodied great wine, what would you match this with in a restaurant? Taylor Thompson: Well, it's great because it's got the versatility of a Sauvignon blanc so you can certainly do things highly acidic like tomato sauces and things like that but then it's also got some smokiness right? So, you might try it with some of the more rustic style juices. Ange: I was thinking of the smoked tuna something, a little smoky that would match this with that wine. Taylor Thompson: Yeah, absolutely! Normally, I would have a Sauvignon blanc with like a cream base pasta or cream base sauce. This has definitely got a nice roundness to it, almost a buttery creaminess from the lees and from the oak agent which really blends it self well to creamier sauces as well so to me, it’s very versatile wine. Ange: Yeah, you’re right. Taylor Thompson: Something that we’ve been doing here at Reds is part of our Winterlicious menu is a little seafood cataplana and you’ve got some shrimp in there and you’ve got some mussels and some chorizo sausage, and some spiciness. A wine like this is just perfect with the spiciness going with smokiness of the oak and then you’ve got the acidity that in the tomatoes that are in the base that has got matched in the acidity and then white wine with seafood it's kind of no-brainer. Ange: Yeah. Taylor Thompso: If you see this wine, I said buy this wine because it's not going to be in the acidity all for long. I try to keep it on the list by the glassy around. It does run out of the vineyard and there’s always a time period when it's not available for us so it's certainly it's a valuable in rum. Ange: What about vintage on this. You’re looking at vintages. What’s the vintage on this? Taylor Thompson: Okay, so this would be the 2006. Ange: Okay. Taylor Thompson: And I’ve seen a lot of 07’s right now but this actually it's going to be laid down for 10 months in the French oak before its hits the market so Fume blanc is going to be seemingly one year behind. Ange: Right, just like a Chardonnay or just like a Cabernet Sauvignon. Taylor Thompson: Yeah, exactly. Ange: Well, thanks very much. Cheers. Cheers to Fume Blanc. Taylor Thompson: Yeah, thanks.