Saturday Night – When life gives you lemons… - Part 1

It was my turn to cook this past Saturday and I had a bit of a lemon theme going on.  The first course was Spicy Shrimp with Mint Dipping Sauce (lemon is used both in the mint sauce and in the shrimp marinade).  I originally paired this course with a 2004 Chateau St.Michelle Fume Blanc but when I poured it out the wine was very dark in colour for a Fume and the nose was awful; it was gone.  I have a bad habit of when I find a wine I like I put it down for a special occasion; unfortunately, Fume Blanc isn’t designed to be aged long term.  So, as a second choice, I paired the shrimp with a 2005 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc.

"Spicy Shrimp with Mint sauce"

I was pleased when I poured this wine to see a nice pale straw colouring to it.  The nose on the wine was interesting as it contained aromas of wet grass, mushroom and a bit of peach in the background.  This isn’t a nose that I fell in love with but it was different.  In tasting the wine before the food you get a bitter, sharp taste with a hint of grapefruit.  It was missing the usual oiliness that you get from Fume Blanc as it was almost too acidic.  With the food this wine became much, much better; the bitterness and the sharpness faded and the grapefruit flavour became more pronounced.  

"2005 Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc"

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 86, Mark - 84, Kathy - 86, Amy -83, Overall – 84.75.

 "Check out the colour difference"

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –



ROBERT MONDAVI FUMÉ BLANC 2008


Vintages 221887
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 22.95
Wine, White Wine
13.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California/Californie, United States
By: Constellation Wines U S
Release Date: Jul 10, 2010


Tasting Note - Concentrated and robust peach, citrus, golden raisin and apple flavors have a firm structure and refreshing juicy acidity. Smooth and sophisticated, with a long, spicy finish. Drink now through 2012. Score - 88. (Mary Ann Worobiec, www.winespectator.com, Web Only, 2010)


Note – this is the 2008 and not the 2005 reviewed here, though the pricing would be the same.

After the shrimp I shocked the table a bit by saying I didn’t think I was going to purchase another bottle of Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc again. Why, my friends asked, as it is so very, very good with Spicy Shrimp? While this wine is indeed excellent with Spicy Shrimp, we have yet to find another suitable food pairing. Let’s just say the uproar was more than I could take as I was out-voted three to one… not necessarily a bad thing at the end of the day.

Click here for Part 2