Spy Valley Gewurztraminer 2009

Being a huge fan of Spy Valley's Riesling, I thought I would try out their Gewurztraminer. I can't say Gewurz is my favourite wine - I find it can be hit and miss. Despite the cliché about it matching well with Asian food, in reality I've found it's not that easy to match because it's so characterful.

For example, this particular wine clashed with my food tonight (Ken Hom's chicken with black bean sauce). Something in the food gave the wine a bitter finish - perhaps it was the black beans themselves. Sipping it now on its own, I'm appreciating it much more.

It's quite heavy on the roses, especially on the palate. However it also has a good, crisp acidity and just the right amount of body - the balance is spot on, and the roses linger on the palate for ages.

A bit pricey at £12.49 from Majestic, but we all know that's not the real price. £9.99 when you buy 2 bottles.

Spy Valley

Gewurztraminer 2009

Marlborough, New Zealand

Majestic

£12.49 (£9.99 when you buy 2)

3.5/5

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Alsace Gewurztraminer 2008

Another result from the current Sainsbury's Taste the Difference sale. Produced by the ever-reliable Cave de Turckheim, this delivers rich, floral flavour, full mouthfeel and a crisp freshness.

I think Gewurztraminer is great - it's so different from other white grapes. I could understand if it's not your cup of tea, it has a very unique character, but you have to respect it. This is a really good example for this price range.

Cave de Turckheim

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Gewurztraminer 2008

Alsace, France

Sainsbury's

£5.09 (£7.64)

3/5

Cono Sur Gewurztraminer 2009

If you like Gewurztraminer, or have been meaning to try it, then you won't get a better deal that this. Available for just over £5 (or £4.97 online), this is a great example of this variety. No notes to share really, except to say it impressed the (sometimes fussy) female drinkers, which is good enough for me.

Cono Sur

Gewurztraminer 2009

Bio-Bio Valley, Chile

Waitrose Wine Direct

£4.97 (with 25% off online)

3/5

Cave de Turckheim "Brand" Gewurztraminer Grand Cru 2007

The price of this has crept up significantly since the 2005 vintage, but it is still worth every penny.

2007 was an exceptional vintage for Alsace, and I needed an impressive white to display the merits of white wine to a visiting red-loving friend of mine.

I think it did the trick. It had concentrated floral aromas, super-velvety texture and a lovely rich, complex palate. I wasn't tasting it side by side with the 2005, but from what I can recollect the 2007 may have been slightly lighter and more elegant.

Cave de Turckheim

"Brand" Gerwuztraminer Grand Cru 2007

Alsace, France

The Grape Shop

£15.45

4/5

Cave de Turckheim "Brand" Gewurztraminer Grand Cru 2005

This wine is fabulous.  We had it the other night with Fushsia Dunlop's General Tso's chicken.  Fuchsia is one of my personal cooking heroes.

I am going to break from tradition a bit here and use my dinner companion's tasting notes, as they are far more descriptive that anything I could come up with.  I think I'm pretty good at gauging whether a wine is good or not.  As for picking out individual flavours and things, well there are other more talented people than me.

"Fresh cut, under ripe cantaloupe melon, that is still a bit green", (I think these apply to the nose), and  "honeysuckle".  As for the palate, I can chip in with this:  this is a Grand Cru wine, so imagine a "normal" Gewurz and triple the concentration.  It's like drinking flower juice, with a bit of an oily texture.  My  dinner companions reckoned it had a bit of residual sugar, but I think they are mistaking aromatics for sugar, which is easy to do with Alsatian wine.  I felt it was quite dry, although I could well be dead wrong about the sugar part.

As for the finish - "white raisin", "slightly burnt caramel - like when you make it at home and leave it on the heat just a minute too long", "bitter" and "apricot".  Sounds about right, except I've never made caramel at home before.  By the way, Duncan is single and his number is....

I got this from a shop by Clapham Junction called The Grape Shop.  A few comments about it in a previous post here.  

Overall a fantastic wine and great bargain.  The Grape Shop also stocks a Grand Cru Reisling from the same producer.  It's pretty safe to say I'm going to be buying it.

Cave de Turckheim

"Brand" Gerwuztraminer Grand Cru 2005

Alsace, France

The Grape Shop

£13

4/5

La Cave de Turckheim Gewürztraminer 2007

If you've never had a Gewurztraminer before, this is a good one to try.  Forget about any preconceptions you have about white wine, this will change all that.  The nose is usually described as "lychees", but I can't remember the last time I ate a lychee fruit, so I'll stick with "floral", which I think describes it best.  It really does smell like flowers.  It also has a rich flavour that may make you think it's sweet, but is in fact quite dry.

This is produced by a co-op in Alsace, France which has to be one of my favourite wine regions.  I love the wines of this region, especially for their food-matching ability.  If you like this, you should also give these other Alsace varietials a try: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, or blends thereof.

La Cave de Turckheim

Gewurztraminer
Waitrose
£7.99

3/5