Alexander Valley Vineyards New Gewurz 2004 The First Wine of the Vintage! A white counterpart to Nouveau Beaujolais. New Gewürz accentuates the inherent, unique characteristics of the Gewürztraminer grape. To capture and enhance the lively, spicy character of this varietal, we cold-ferment the chilled juice then immediately bottle the wine.  Detroit News - Sandra Silfven 11/18/2004 "And to satisfy the passionate wine lovers, there’s New Gewurz from Alexander Valley Vineyards, 2004, which actually beat Beaujolais Nouveau to the marketplace. It has a trace of residual sugar, with that trademark floral, brown spice, grapefruit zest and ginger personality. It’s crisp and delicious."

Allan Scott Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) A tank sample. Typical of the vintage with lots of flavor filled rose petals, Turkish delight, spices and musk. A bit phenolic at this stage but shows heaps of potential. 13% alc. Sue Courtney   20Sep2004.

Amor-Bendall Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc), Gisborne, New Zealand,  That typical Amor-Bendall yeasty character underlies the pink smoker lolly, musk and lemon flavors that fill out to a spicy finish. 13% al. $22. Sue Courtney   22Aug2004. 

    The International Aromatic Wine Competition 2004 Results: 2004 Gewürztraminer - Bronze; 2003 Gewürztraminer - Bronze

Askerne Hawkes Bay Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Sweetly aromatic, seemingly light and delicate but with all the right things going on with musky spices to the fore. There's spiced honey and a slightly earthy character as it builds to a long rich finish with clove-like spices emerging on the after taste about a minute later. 13.5% alc. 5g/L rs. Sue Courtney  22Aug2004.

Astrolabe Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) A sweeter wine, bordering on late harvest in style. Lightly spicy with tropical fruits leading into ripe juicy peaches with a spicy tingle to the finish and on the lingering aftertaste there are hints of clove and fennel. The back label suggests it could be matched to desserts. I would match to stonefruits or pears poached in a little Gewürztraminer or perhaps even red wine infused with cloves and a cinnamon stick, or a spicy plum pudding. 13.5% alc. 20 g/L rs. $21.95. 22Aug2004.
Pale in color with sweetly scented Turkish delight aromas and musky fruit sweetness, a wine with lovely balance and flow. Soft, warm and oily, packed with Turkish delight, rose petal, tangelo juice and Asian spices with citrus peel to balance the sweetness and a long, full finish, it will take some serious chilling this summer. 20 g/L rs. 13.5% alc. $19.95. Sue Courtney 29Sep2004. Note: no company website as of 11/23/04

Bladen Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2004 Sweetish, musky, good firm backbone, it fills out in the palate with musky spices and an exotic finesse. Let the wine open up after popping the cork to let the exotic spices emerge on the nose as well. With a tart, citrus peel character to finish it tastes drier than the sugar component suggests. 12.5% alc. 13g/L rs. $22. Sue Courtney 22Aug2004.

Brookfields Ohiti Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Nice aromatics, soft and pungent, delicate musky lemon flavors, a little nutty at this stage, needs to evolve. 14% alc.  Sue Courtney 14Jul2004.
A little closed, biscuity on the nose but definitely showing some varietal traits. A drier style, lemony and a little phenolic to start, but becomes quite full and long in the palate with mouthfilling richness and weight. Lovely oily texture with stonefruits and Asian spices on the long, full-flavored, white flower finish. Just take a while to open up. Picks up an earthy trait when tasted with my Pork and yam Casserole. 14% alc. 5g/L rs. $18. Sue Courtney 9Sep2004.

Coopers Creek Gisborne Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) A musky, rose petal style with plenty of spice and a warm backing of lychee juice with just a hint of honey, leading to a long, spicy, medium-bodied finish. Delicate but smart. 14% alc. $18. Sue Courtney 22Aug2004.

Crossroads Destination Series Hawkes Bay Gewürztraminer 2004 A drier style with plenty of flavor characterized by a lemony backbone, spices, lychee juice and a sweet musky aftertaste. 12.5 % alc. 8 g/ rs. Sue Courtney 20Sep2004.

Eden Valley Whites Joseph Hill Gewürztraminer 2004 - The gewürztraminer vineyard is planted on well-drained deep sandy loam and silt. It is named after Joseph Hill Thyer who pioneered the first vines on this property in the early 1900s. The vintage was almost as late as 2002 with good yields and excellent fruit quality. Wine Description: Pale gold green in colour. Sweet, lifted floral aroma of perfumed dark rose petals, muscat and Turkish delight. The palate is rich and full showing delicate lychee fruits and a long crisp finish. Absolutely delicious. Cellaring Potential: Great vintage, drink 2004 to 2008. Serving Idea: Spiced lamb grilled in vine leaves.

Framingham Gewürztraminer 2004, Harvest Date: 17th April, 2004; 14.5% alc., Release Date: October 2004; Cellaring: 3 years;  Colour: Pale Gold;  Winemaker's Notes: Framingham Gewurztraminer is made in the style of Alsace from hand picked grapes. Vintage 2004 has lifted, spicy aromatics with flavours of stonefruit, ginger and "Turkish delight. Some residual sugar was retained at the end of fermentation to provide alcohol balance. The resulting wine is opulent with a rich, oily texture, good weight and mouthfeel, and a long finish. SILVER 2004 International Aromatic Wine Competition - Canterbury A&P Show

    Mouthfeel: The in-mouth impressions of wine when wine tasting, especially the tactile sensations such as “heat” from high alcohol content or “heaviness” or body due to the viscosity from high alcohol and residual sugar in the wine.

Forrest Estate Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) At this stage, it's quiet on the nose but show good potential in the palate. It's a medium style with a slow release of musky spicy flavors and a tickle of ginger on the long, long finish. It will probably be in its element by November. 14% alc. Sue Courtney 22Aug2004.

Johanneshof Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2004 Rich, concentrated and honeyed, a beautiful satiny textured wine with lovely viscosity that plays on the palate with delicate spices and classic musky, rose petal, ripe stonefruit and citrus flavors. A wine of lovely balance and weight, intense, not overpowering, very good indeed, the flavors creep up to linger with excellent persistence. With its delicacy it could be lost in a judging line-up but I rate this highly indeed. Sue Courtney 31Aug2004. Note: this is a New Zealand winery though there is an Austrian one. Note: no company website as of 11/23/04

Joseph Hill Gewürztraminer 2004, 100% gewürztraminer grown at Eden Valley. Adobe Acrobat Reader required

Kathy Lynskey Wines Marlborough Single Vineyard Gewürztraminer 2004 Dry, spicy, a little yeasty at first, it slowly opens up to become a full-bodied, rich version of a dry GW with ripe spicy fruit heading towards the stonefruit spectrum and musky pepper on the long warm finish. A very powerful wine with just a touch of oak to add complexity. 14.2% alc. Sue Courtney 22Aug2004.

    Winery Notes: We feel that this is our best vintage to date. The grapes were grown on the stony, free draining old Omaka riverbed soils of our estate vineyard. Handpicked at peak flavour and ripeness, the grapes received limited skin contact prior to fermentation. Fermentation was carried out in stainless steel to enhance the delicate fruit flavours of this seductive aromatic variety. A small portion was also placed into neutral French oak to add further complexity. This wine has lifted and perfumed aromas of spice, orange blossom and honeysuckle while the palate is rich with spice, rose petals, lychee and Turkish delight. This drier style Gewürztraminer has a wonderful warm, waxy and spicy mouthfeel complemented by a well balanced acidity which finishes long and clean. Bottling Date: 2 August 2004; Cases Made: 595, $28.00

Kemblefield Hawkes Bay Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) A little smoky on the nose and suffering from SO2, which will blow off with aeration. Quite tight in the palate with a spritzy prickly feel to the tongue, the fruit is sweet and opens up to a musky spicy finish. Sue Courtney 22Aug2004.

    WINEMAKER'S NOTES: Due to unseasonal frosts in Hawke's Bay, Kemblefield for the first time in ten years had to source its Gewürztraminer fruit from outside the district. The 2003 vintage produced fruit with abundant floral characters. Kemblefield's Gewürztraminer is made in a full rich style. COLOUR: Yellow with a green tinge. BOUQUET: Pungent line and lychee aromas dominate wit ha touch of rose petals. PALATE: Intense Turkish delight and floral characters combine with honey flavours to create a rich wine with a soft lingering finish. CELLARING POTENTIAL: Enjoyable now, further cellaring will enhance the wine's characteristics. COMPOSITION: 100% Gewürztraminer. OENOLOGICAL TREATMENT - The wine was cool fermented in stainless steel tanks to emphasis it's fruit characters. The wine was then given extended lees contact to increase complexity on the palate. WINE ANALYSIS: Alcohol 13.0%, acidity 5.5 g/l, Residual sugar 5.0 g/l, pH 3.40: HARVEST DATE: 07 March 2003: BOTTLING DATE: 11 July 2003

Lawson's Dry Hills Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Lovely aromatics with varietally distinct musky scents, it's spicy in the palate with lovely fruit weight, a touch of ginger and mouthfilling richness, it has a dry spicy finish and a musky aftertaste that is full of the flavors of rose water and Turkish delight. Another sensational GW from the Lawsons. 14% alc. $21. 24Aug2004.
Light gold in color with an abundant bouquet of rose petals, violets and lychees and showing excellence balance and finesse in the palate. A dryish wine with spiced apple and stonefruit flavor and a long flavorsome spicy finish, not too overpowering which will make it a good accompaniment to food. The lovely musky floral traits expected in good gewürztraminer, linger. 14% alc. $21.95. Sue Courtney 6Oct2004.

    Winery Notes: Whilst predominately cool fermented in stainless steel, a small component of this Gewürztraminer was given the "full treatment" with high solids wild ferment in French barriques followed by malo and lees stirring. A component of the wine was chilled to stop ferment completion to give the overall blend just a hint of natural residual sweetness. Lawson's Dry Hills Winery made in a dry style, our 2004 Gewürztraminer combines a concentrated floral bouquet with ginger and lychee flavours, rich spice on the palate and a long finish. The 2003 was 14% alc.

Lincoln Gisborne Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Smoky, musky, definitely those pink smoker lolly flavor in this light, floral style of GW that has a muskiness to the lightly sweetish, spicy finish. 13.5% alc. 5g/L rs. $19. Sue Courtney 22Aug2004.

    Note: website doesn't list a 2004 or any Gewurztraminer, but Heritage Collection Gisborne Gewurztraminer 2004 at http://www.uncork.com.au/linknzl.htm

Mills Reef Estate Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Strongly perfumed with pungent aromas of flowers, cloves and Turkish delight, there is absolutely no doubting the variety with its rose petal muskiness. A rich, strong, oily style with just a sweetness and spice on the rose water finish. A sweeter style with good varietal definition. 13% alc. $15.95. 8Sep2004

    Typically varietal on the nose with rose petal to the fore, full flavored, rich and spicy with a powerful muskiness and a sweetish finish. Offering everything you expect of the variety, this is great for quaffing though holds it own with food. 13% alc. $15.95. Sue Courtney 9Sep2004.

Mills Reef Reserve Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) A more elegant restrained, dry style, not so 'in your face' as its stablemate, this has a warm, lemony, Euro-like influence with an oily texture and long full flavors of citrus, exotic spices and lychee juice with a long musky aftertaste. Tonight it was a little overshadowed by the sweeter Mills Reef Gewürztraminer tasted first. 12.5% alc. $22.95. 8Sep2004.
Musky scented, a little herbal at first, together with clove. Lemon, white flowers, honey and clove in the palate, slow to evolve but builds to a long lemony finish. Good with food, it holds it flavors. 12.5% alc. $21.95. Sue Courtney 9Sep2004.

    Winery Notes: is richly perfumed with lychee and citrus fruit aromas. Masses of lemon, lychee and spice flavours persist on the middle palate with a smooth rounded dry finish. This wine will reward cellaring but is already delicious in its youth. 12.5% alc.

Millton Gisborne Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) A little phenolic on entry but quickly becoming bright and spicy in the oily textured palate with a tartness to the fruit and a tingly, slightly musky, full-bodied finish. Opens up well and lingers with good persistence. 13% alc. $22. Sue Courtney 22Aug2004.

    Winery Notes: Gewürztraminer is very much at home in the rich clay soils of Gisborne. I want this wine to ooze deep spice, Turkish delight and ginger characters. It should be soft and warm on the palate and have charming little hints of bitterness (phenolics) on the finish. 2004 was a brilliant season to harvest very ripe grapes. Long skin contact, cool fermentation and no organoleptic fining have achieved our initial desires. $19.00

Montana Reserve Gisborne/Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2004 -  (rrp $20) A new addition to the Reserve range for New Zealand, this aromatic Gewürztraminer has been crafted from a blend of premium Gisborne and Marlborough grapes to create an elegant wine, full-bodied with lychee and grapefruit flavours and a lingering spicy finish. Release date: 16 September 2004. Description Colour: Straw with green tints. Aromas: A rich, lifted bouquet of exotic spice and grapefruit with hints of rose petal. Palate: Rich and full-bodied with lychee and grapefruit flavours and a lingering spicy finish. A trace of natural sweetness perfectly balances the natural acidity and fruit flavours .Recommended Cellaring This wine is lovely to drink now but will benefit from further bottle development by careful cellaring for up to three years. Alcohol: 13.5%

Navarro 2004 Gewürztraminer Grape Juice (not wine)

Nobilo Icon Rarangi Gewürztraminer 2004 Pale gold in color, and full of spicy aromatics with ginger, anise and five-spice powder scents, youthful tasting in the palate with mandarin and orange zest brightness, spiced stonefruit and a musky, lychee-flavored finish that really fills out as it lingers. Beautifully balanced throughout. Rarangi is halfway between Napier and Gisborne. This is the first Icon GW for a number of years. 13% alc. Sue Courtney 4Aug2004. Note: not listed on their website as of 11/23/04

Rippon Vineyard & Winery Gewurtztraminer 2004 - Rippon's gewurz vines are now at the age (15years +) where they are also putting their hands up as willing representatives of our terroir. With its floral and flinty take on the typical varietal lychee aromas and lingering spiciness in the mouth, this wine talks with style and pride of place. 13.5 %  alc., Winemakers tasting notes: Slow, whole bunch pressings, except for a portion of skin maceration, have resulted in excellent balance and complexity. With it's floral and flinty take on the typical varietal lychee aromas and lingering spiciness in the mouth, this wine talks with style and pride of place. (cellar door price $22.00)

Saints Gisborne Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Rich and honeyed to the nose, the wine smells quite sweet, perhaps there is some botrytis in here as it reminded me a little of an Alsace V-T style. Lovely delicacy of fruit and spice with lemon jubes, rosewater, white honey and just a twist of white pepper on the finish. Will evolve well. Too sweet for my spiced pork and yam casserole so chill and enjoy for tasty drinking this summer. 13.5% alc. Sue Courtney 9Sep2004.

    Note: Jubes - a chewy or hard confectionery comprising of pineapple, orange, lime, raspberry and black currant flavoured jelly in 5 different shapes and coated with sugar. Should be free of mould, moisture and infestation. Made in Australia.

    Winery Notes: A distinctive varietal wine crafted from grapes grown on our vineyards in the Patutahi region in Gisborne. Refreshing and spicy, this rich Gewürztraminer exhibits the distinctive flavours and characteristics of this region. Aug 2004 Alcohol: 13.5% by volume. Description Colour: Pale straw yellow with green tints. Aromas: Distinctive lychee, grapefruit and spice aromas of ripe Gewürztraminer fruit with a hint of rose petal. Palate: The full, ripe fruit flavours are rich and spicy, with natural grape sweetness balancing the acidity. The palate is well structured, refreshing and spicy. Recommended Cellaring Although excellent drinking now, this wine will continue to develop with careful cellaring over the next three years.

Sanderson Wines Gewurztraminer 2004, Grown in Omarunui Road, Hawke's Bay once again. Decent volumes and extremely ripe, clean fruit picked at 23.5 brix, cool fermented and bottled early to preserve the fabulous rose petal and lychee aromas. Drier than previous offerings, this wine has 13.5% alcohol and 10 grams per litre of residual sugar. And tastes fantastic. Our best yet. 1900 bottles made. First release July 2004. Drink now to 2007.

Seifried Nelson Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Made in a medium, easy drinking style, this off dry wine is sweet and fruity with a spicy note to the warm, musky finish. 12% alc. $17-$19. Sue Courtney 22Aug2004.

Seifried Winemakers Collection Nelson Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Far more varietal than its stablemate with musk, rose petals, spice and cloves, it is full and ripe with lovely balance and a long, full flavorsome finish and excellent length. 13% alc. $21. Sue Courtney 22Aug2004.

Soljans Gisborne Gewürztraminer 2004 , New Zealand, 12.5% alc, $11.9

Spy Valley Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Immediately ripe and luscious to the nose and taste. A totally delectable wine with musk, spice and just a hint of honeysuckle, very powerful and mouthfilling with a nice array of exotic spice that linger long after the wine is swallowed with just a touch of white pepper on the finish. Sweeter than last year's gold medal winner with 12 g/L residual sugar, but beautifully balanced throughout. 14.5% alc. 22Aug2004.
Medium gold in color and smelling a little like a gewurz from Alsace, the rich, full pungent flavors are crammed with lychee juice, musk, rose petal, Turkish delight and Asian spices. Oily in texture with a long, long finish, there's some underlying citrus to balance the richness. Almost hedonist. 12 g/L residual sugar. 14.5% alc. $20.95. Sue Courtney 29Sep2004.

    Winemakers Comments Ant Mackenzie - After picking and pressing the individual parcels were tank fermented at warm temperatures. At the end of fermentation the wines were racked off their yeast lees and aged for four months prior to blending and bottling. Tasting Notes Ant Mackenzie - Colour: Pale Straw Bouquet: Powerfully aromaticespecially in the rose petal and spicy coriander notes. Palate: Pure and focused with the aromatics carrying through to the palate in a complementary way. The finish is well rounded and off dry.

Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2004 - (rrp $23) This powerful, succulent wine was crafted from the most intensely-flavoured Gewürztraminer grapes, grown on our distinctive stony Rapaura Series soils. Floral, cinnamon spice and rose petal aromas lead into an off-dry palate with guava, melon, ginger and cinnamon spice flavours. Released Oct 2004 Note: not listed on their website as of 11/23/04

Te Whare Ra Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Pale in color with delicately varietal scents of rose petal, sweetish and musky in the palate with a spicy richness and a mouthfillingly long, warm pink smoker lolly finish. It seems rather light on its own but is excellent with lightly spiced foods. 13.8% alc. 13.3g/L rs. $28. Sue Courtney 9Sep2004.

    Winery Notes: intensely perfumed, with notes of rose-petals, cloves and violets. These lead into luscious varietal flavours of lychees, fresh ginger, rose water and exotic spice. The palate shows intense fruit concentration and weight with excellent persistence of flavour. This wine is of medium sweetness (RS is 13g/L) and continues the outstanding quality of previous vintages of our Gewürztraminers. This 2004 Gewürztraminer is enjoyable to drink now but will also benefit from careful cellaring for 6 - 8 years. Awards: Bob Campbell (Cuisine Magazine 100th issue - Top 100 Wines) rated the Te Whare Ra Duke of Marlborough Gewürztraminer in the top 5 Gewürztraminers produced in NZ. Michael Cooper (2004 Buyers Guide to NZ Wine) rated the Te Whare Ra Duke of Marlborough Gewürztraminer as a Potential Classic. He defines Potential Classics as the group of wines "from which future classics will emerge. These are wines of outstanding quality that look likely, if their current standards are maintained or improved, to qualify after another vintage or two for elevation to Classic status."

Villa Maria Private Bin Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) A rich, spicy scented, full-bodied gewurz, sweeter to the taste with a spicy backbone and a rich, oily texture. Cloves and lemon peel linger on the dry finish and it has a good persistence aftertaste. Excellent with food and from seven wines tasted with the pork and yam casserole this was the best match. 14% alc. 9g/L rs. Sue Courtney 9Sep2004.

Villa Maria Reserve Gisborne Gewürztraminer 2004 Pungent, full-on Turkish delight and musky rose petal scents lead into a ripe, full-flavored, luscious, tropical fruited palate laced with musk and spice, and a smoky musky finish. 14% alc. 8g/L rs. Sue Courtney 19Oct2004.

Waipara Hills Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2004 Awards: Bronze Medal - Liquorland International Top 100 Wine Awards, 2004; Wine Maker's comments Made from grapes grown at the D'Auvergne Vineyard in Marlborough, this medium style wine displays intense aromas of cloves, lychee, crushed rose petals and Turkish delight. It has a full bodied, oily palate with a soft finish. This wine can be enjoyed on its own or matched with Asian cuisine.
Bronze Medal: 2004 Marlborough Gewurztraminer - International Aromatic Wine Competition
2004 Marlborough Gewurztraminer - Air New Zealand Wine Awards; 2004 Marlborough Gewurztraminer - Liquorland International Top 100; Trophies, 2003 Marlborough Gewurztraminer - Champion NZ Gewurztraminer, Romeo Bragato Wine Awards; 2003 Marlborough Gewurztraminer - Champion NZ Gewurztraminer, New Zealand Wine Society ; Royal Easter Wine Show Gold Medal: 2003 Marlborough Gewurztraminer - Romeo Bragato Wine Awards; 2003 Marlborough Gewurztraminer - New Zealand Wine Society Royal Easter Wine Show, 2001 Marlborough Gewurztraminer - Four Stars, Winestate Magazine

Waipara Springs Wines 2004 Gewurztraminer, NEW RELEASE The Gewurztraminer is a full bodied wine with an abundance of aromas including feijoa's, lychees and spice followed by a clean and slightly sweetish finish ; This wine is delicious served lightly chilled with many seafood and Asian influenced dishes utilizing lemongrass, coriander, chili and coconut cream. 14.5% alc., $20 NZ

Wairau River Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2004 (sc) Pungent smelling with a lemony backbone to the musky, spicy flavors with a lacing of ginger and pepper. Not too heavy, it definitely drinking nicely now and will be great this coming summer. 14% alc. Sue Courtney 23Aug2004.

Whitehaven Wine Company Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2004, Medium to full bodied wine with spicy and floral flavours and a smooth and broad finish; Winemaking: Most of the fruit was machine harvested in cool conditions, destemmed and lightly pressed with minimal skin contact. The clear, cold-settled juice was fermented in a stainless steel vat at low temperature using an aromatic wine yeast strain to enhance the distinctive fruit flavours. The balance of the fruit was hand-picked, whole cluster pressed, and underwent a high solids wild ferment in old oak, with malolactic fermentation. Tasting Notes: Colour / Appearance: Mid Straw-gold; Aroma / Bouquet: Rose petals and spice, with a hint of Turkish delight. Palate: Medium to full bodied wine with spicy and floral flavours and a smooth and broad finish. Serve: Well Chilled; 13.5% alc., $18.80