Varietal:Â 100% Gewurztraminer
Region:Â Rogue Valley – Oregon – USA
Cost:Â $14.50
Winemaker’s Notes:Â Â Â Citrus blossom, orange peel, wildflower honey, and a hint of nutmeg are aromatically enticing. Beautifully balanced flavors of pineapple, guava, nectarine, and a trace of ginger spice are rich yet restrained, opulent, but not over the top.
My Review:Â I don’t think it’s any surprise by this point when I say I’m always cautious when picking a Gewurztraminer. As an Army brat I spent a good bit of time in Germany where I was exposed to bottles of it that I’m pretty sure could have been used as syrup on pancakes and waffles. That being said, it is a historically good pairing with Thanksgiving dinner, so I had grabbed a bottle from my local wine shop and took it with me last month for the feast. The bottle, however, didn’t get opened, so I brought it back home with me and opened it this past weekend with my wife.
In the glass the wine was medium light in color – not completely clear, but certainly not a rich golden color either. On the nose I got hints of honey and a touch of citrus with a roundness that spoke of spice that I just wasn’t getting personally. In the mouth the wine was subtly sweet, with good citrus notes and a bit of body on the finish. Paired with a lunch of baked brie that was drizzled with a balsamic reduction and some candied pecans the wine did a nice job of cutting through some of the richness of the brie without adding too much sweetness.
I’m not going to go out and say that this is the greatest, or driest Gewurztraminer that ever was, but if you’re as gun-shy around the grape as I am it’s not a bad choice to try and ease your way back into it until you get to the really dry choices that you won’t believe are Gewurztraminer.
If you can’t find the bottle at your local wine shop you can simply follow this link and have it shipped directly to your home or office:Â http://www.winezap.com/search/searchResults.cfm?r=181364
