Mondavi 2000 Fume Blanc

[Nguigmi]

Had a bottle of this wine with my boyfriend the other night. Neither of us had had a fume blanc before, and we were a little surprised by the strong smell of cats pee. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]
To be honest it was a little offensive at first, but we drank it anyway and I have to say the wine really grew on me! Seems to me to be a more "condensed" version of a Sauvignon Blanc, where the flavours and aromas are more pronounced.

Anyway, I noticed the bottle said the wine was unfiltered. Could someone explain to me what the benefit is of unfiltered wine? Is that partially responsible for the "cats pee" smell?

Nguigmi