Gewurztraminer

WINE TALK
1

I am really not a sweet wine drinker but I have a few people in my life who are. Last night I opened a
2011 Domaine Weinbach Gewurztraminer Réserve Personnelle It was pretty good but what do I really know. I paid about $28 for the bottle. I think my problem is trying to find a wine like this but one that will last in the cellar for longer than two years. I did also have their 2011 reisling and was not overly impressed.

Any suggestions? Price range up to $50 at this point. And if course it should have a 90 plus rating. Haha. I know that gets attention around here.

2

Alsace producer Dirler is quite good. I particularly like their Grand Cru Spiegel.

3

Albert Mann.

2010 Steingrubler Grand Cru can be had sub $50 and will reward cellar time despite being delicious now.

It may have been rated by somebody. If not, I give it 92 points, just for you.

Cheers,
fred

4

I second any Alsace Gewurztraminer from Albert Mann and would like to throw in the Zind-Humbrecht 2008 Witzenheim and 2009 Calcaire Gewurztraminers in there as well. Should be under $30 each. Quite sweet but very expressive Gewurztraminers, they are pretty much Vendanges Tardives in all but name yet go for half the price of one or less.

5

I like Albert Mann as well, though I don’t have experience with how the Gewurtz ages. I wouldn’t think 2-3 years would be any problem, though.

A good domestic Gewurtz for around $20 is “The Outlier” from Tercero. Available at retail or through the winery’s site. Enough sweetness for those who seek that out, but ample cut and precision to be a good wine experience for you.

6

I recommend Ravines from the Finger Lakes…$18.95.

Quite dry and the first Gewurtz my wife would drink. It’s really good. About 1.0 RS.

7

Mila Handley used to make a lovely Gewurz and I’d think it’s still well under $25…

8

I’ve always liked Navarro’s dry gewurtz. Spicy w/lovely aromatics. I think they also bottle a sweet gewurtz from time to time.

9

I just had a 2004 Schlumberger Kessler gewurz for $32 that was lovely. Not too “Gewürzy” and I would say slightly off dry.

10

Why do you think the Weinbach couldn’t age?

11

I was wondering the same. And the Dirler that I mentioned above and I am currently drinking is vintage 2004, and showing no signs of fading.

12

Im not really trying to age it. Just store it for longer than two years and CT said the drink date range was 2012-2014

13

Of course the Weinbach will age, ten years plus comfortably. Although if you like them young, why bother? And I wouldn’t pay much attention to CT’s drinking range.

Trimbach Seigneurs de Ribeaupierre is good. And the best Gewurz I ever had was a ZH Clos Windsbuhl 1988, aged 22 (the wine not me).

14

It’s no secret that I bring his wines into US, but the Beck-Hartweg wines are worth a look… you can still find the following for under $40.00…

BECK-HARTWEG 2005 GEWURZTRAMINER FRANKSTEIN GRAND CRU

now it does not have any points, but it does have a sticker on it that reads “Best Gewurztraminer in the World” so, dammit, that’s gotta count for something!!! [snort.gif]

15

Albert Mann’s Furstentum Gewurztraminer V.V. regularly gets over 90, since that seems to matter, and Tanzer even gave a 90 to the basic '11 bottling. I’ve also enjoyed the basic bottlings from Dirler and Trimbach. All of these will easily last way longer than you’ll want to keep them.

16

[winner.gif]

I can’t speak to Weinbach’s Reserve Personelle, that being my least favorite of their Gewürztraminers, but the other wines age very well. Recently Theo, Laurence and Furstentum Laurence from the late 90s were all drinking very well with plenty of life remaining.

17

Try the Stony Hill Napa Gewurz. Bone dry, really fun stuff.

18

Zind can be divisive, but I love their gewurztraminers, both the VTs and the regular bottlings. Not every bottling is special (some make the sin of being boring), but most of the time, they’re pretty thrilling in a big, boisterous way.

19

Vinoptima Ormond from NZ is pretty epic stuff.

20

Good recommendation. One of the stars of their underrated portfolio.