Wine Spectator 91 – best vintage ever:
This crisp, intense white offers notes of green apple, lime zest and fresh grated ginger, with plenty of lemon verbena, showing Meyer lemon and tangerine flavors at the core. Impressive for its clarity and mouthwatering finish, on a sleek frame.
The winery explains:
Fumé Blanc is at the heart and soul of our family winery. In 1972, David Stare was the first person to plant Sauvignon Blanc in the Dry Creek Valley appellation. For nearly 50 years, we continue to produce classically styled versions of Sauvignon Blanc that respect the founding style, while also innovating for the future.
Our inspiration for the winery’s flagship varietal can be directly attributed to the Loire Valley. Traveling through the vineyards of France, David Stare was beguiled by the classic wines of the region – refreshingly grassy and herbaceous Sancerre, subtle and evocative Pouilly Fumé, and the charming wines of Vouvray. He found a passion for Sauvignon Blanc, and his vague idea of starting a winery in California began to take shape. He vowed that his future winery’s white wines Sauvignon Blanc wines would be fashioned according to the traditional Loire Valley standard.
Dry Creek Vineyard remains synonymous with Fumé Blanc and the Sauvignon Blanc varietal. The debut of our bold and assertive Sancerre-style wine from the 1972 vintage instantly spotlighted Dry Creek Vineyard as one of California’s premier small wineries. Despite a strong track record of unerring success with Dry Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Merlot, our flagship wine continues to be Fumé Blanc.
Dry Creek Vineyard has always celebrated the intrinsically refreshing character of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. Because our wines are modeled after the assertively herbaceous wines of Sancerre, Dry Creek Vineyard never subdues inherent varietal characteristics with extreme canopy manipulation or use of oak barrels. While other wineries produce Sauvignon Blanc in the Chardonnay model, Dry Creek Vineyard prefers to emphasize genuine varietal integrity by utilizing stainless steel tanks to preserve the natural freshness and clean acidity of the grape.
David Stare founded the Society of Blancs in 1989 to provide education and promotional support for his perennially favorite wine. Fumé Blanc offers an exceptional range of food compatibilities. Served chilled, it always satisfies, pairing well with oysters, seafood, goat cheese, smoked trout, vegetable paté, cold poached salmon with dill, or Tex-Mex grilled chicken.
Also 92 from Wilfred Wong:
2019 Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc remains one of California's most remarkable and consistent wines. I recall tasting the 1973 vintage when it was released (circa 1975), and I may have even tried the 1972 vintage, the winery's first year of production. I'll have to dig into my ancient journals to find it I did. TASTING NOTES: The newest vintage is predictably at the top of its game. Its aromas and flavors of dried spices, herbs, tangy citrus, and chalk invite a plate of raw oysters in the quiet of the backyard.
As good an American wine as you can find under $15. Indeed, this puts a lot of $30 Sauvignons to shame.
