This is a new arrival at Majestic, and it is something a little different. It is an innovative Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, but not in the style you might expect. It comes from the winery behind The Doctor’s, the pioneering lower-alcohol Sauvignon Blanc. This one is not lower in alcohol, though. Instead, the difference comes from its oaked style.
Fumé Blanc was originally created by the famous Napa Valley winemaker Robert Mondavi. At the time, Napa Sauvignon Blanc had developed a reputation for being sweet and rather dull, so Mondavi invented a new name for the variety in an attempt to change how people saw it. Fumé refers to smoke-like vapour or substance.
The fruit comes from the winery’s oldest vines in the gravel-rich Wairau Valley. It is cool fermented in oak barriques and large foudres, bringing together fresh aromatics and richer wood character. The wine is then aged on its lees for ten months. This is the 2025 vintage and comes in at 12.4% ABV.
When well chilled, it gives off a bright, citrusy aroma. As it warms, lemon verbena begins to emerge. Slight tropical fruit follows on the taste, alongside vanilla, a mineral edge and a clear oak influence. Ten months on the lees gives it a creamy, oily and more full-bodied texture. The acidity is moderate, yet the wine still feels fresh. There is considerable length and intensity, making this a rich, more gastronomic style of Sauvignon Blanc. It is almost reminiscent of a lighter oaked Chardonnay, or perhaps a Pouilly-Fumé. Some people I shared it with thought it was reminiscent of a Sancerre from the northern part of the appellation.
This will be available from Majestic for £14 as part of a Mix Any Six, although it was not yet on their web site at the time of writing.
