Sauvignon Blanc Fumé – 2021

Oliver Zeter and his 2021 Sauvignon Blanc Fumé

The Sauvignon Blanc Fumé from Oliver Zeter is a dry white wine, fermented and aged in wooden barrels, sourced from the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vineyards of this Palatinate estate. The 2021 vintage exhibits distinct intensity, a fine, flinty spice, and an elegant, lingering creaminess.

Sauvignon Blanc Fumé 2021 is a white wine from the Palatinate whose must fermented spontaneously in French oak barrels at Oliver Zeter before resting on its fine lees for at least nine months. At 13% vol, it has noticeable power while remaining balanced.

Tomato leaf, star fruit, and yellow kiwi

The 2021 Fumé carries the scent of tomato leaf, star fruit, and yellow kiwi. Beneath this lies a flinty note reminiscent of freshly struck flint. Such tones develop when a wine rests on its lees for a long time without exposure to air. They provide a cool, clear contour to the aroma alongside the yellow fruit.

On the palate, it feels balanced and displays a sublime, dense texture with an elegant creaminess imparted by the long period on the lees. A ripe acidity draws the dancing finish out at length, ensuring the fruit lingers long after the glass is back on the table.

First on the skins, then into the oak barrel

Only flawless, ripe grapes from Oliver Zeter’s oldest Sauvignon Blanc plots are harvested for the Fumé. After the harvest, the crushed berries remain on their skins for a time. Many of the grape variety's aromas reside in the berry skins and transition into the must in this way.

Only afterward is the mash pressed, and the juice moves into new and used French oak barrels with capacities of 300 and 500 liters. It begins to ferment there on its own, while a small portion matures alongside in concrete eggs and small stainless steel tanks, which preserve the fruit’s freshness.

In mid-August, all batches are combined with their fine lees in a large stainless steel tank so that the individual barrels become a single wine once again. It is then only lightly filtered and bottled to ensure that as much of the richness gained in the wood as possible reaches the bottle.

Zander, veal loin, and spicy mountain cheese

Pan-seared zander with beurre blanc, pink-roasted veal loin in a cream sauce, and a spicy mountain cheese pair well with this wine. Its creaminess balances the richness, and the ripe acidity makes the plate feel lighter. Even with roasted tomatoes, the tomato leaf note in the bouquet blends in surprisingly harmoniously.

Served at 10 to 12 degrees Celsius, slightly warmer than a young white wine from stainless steel, the wood and fruit integrate well. If you pour it into a decanter half an hour before the meal, the flinty tones get some air, and the yellow fruit moves a little to the fore.

You can find younger vintages of the same wine as Fumé 2023 and as Sauvignon Blanc Fumé 2024. Our article on the barrique explains what wooden barrels do for wine. More dry white wines, from the Palatinate and beyond, can be found in our white wine category.

Sauvignon Blanc Fumé 2021 – a white wine and its profile

• Origin: Germany
• Growing region: Palatinate
• Oliver Zeter, Neustadt an der Weinstraße
• Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc
• Aged in French oak barrels
• 13% vol alcohol
• 1.7 g/l residual sugar
• 7.1 g/l acidity