Dry Creek Vineyard Fume Blanc

Grape: Sauvignon blanc

Region: Sonoma County, Calif.

Vintage: 2006

Price: $9.99

In the glass: Dry Creek Fume Blanc is a bright translucent lemon-yellow color with a greenish streak from the core out to a glass-clear meniscus and medium viscosity.

On the nose: The wine exudes classic sliced Gala apples and Bosc pears with lemon meringue pie, grapefruit juice, gooseberries and white currants. There are hints of minerals and sea salt underlying.

On the palate: It offers a lovely crisp entry with apples, pears, lemon zest, white currant crush and some green melon. Through the midpalate, there is a nicely balanced mouthfeel with harmony between the white fruit and the acidity in the wine. On the finish, Dry Creek Fume Blanc has length and again that nice exuberant crispness, which gives us a good indication of the quality winemaking behind it.

Odds and ends: Robert Mondavi “invented” fume blanc in California to differentiate the American wines made from sauvignon blanc grapes from the French ones. Fume means smoked, and it was in reference to the barrel fermentation that is not commonly used in classic sauvignon winemaking. While most producers in California now call their sauvignon blancs by that name, Dry Creek decided to keep the classic fume blanc moniker and why not? While there’s no smoke to be detected on this wine, it is a great wine for shellfish or oysters, but serve it chilled to 50 degrees Fahrenheit for maximum enjoyment. Drink it now through 2010.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.