New Zealand Gewürztraminer Wine Index:
Pre-2000
"In Vino Veritas" (Truth in Vine)
Updated 04/06/2007
If you have additions/corrections/comments to the information, please contact me with your information
A Little Bit of History
Although Gewürztraminer was listed as "Roter Traminer" in Frank Berrysmith's Register of Vines in 1964, it was virtually an unknown grape variety in New Zealand when Bill Irwin imported his own vines into New Zealand. After the mandatory quarantine period he ended up with 2 or 3 withered vines which he planted and propagated in his Matawhero vineyard. Bill also imported many other grapevine clones and corresponded regularly with the heads of UC Davis in California, CSIRO in Australia and Geisenheim in Germany. He was a crusader for virus-free vines and very much respected in the international community of grape growers.
The first Matawhero wines were produced in 1975. As the wines became known so did the demand for Matawhero vine material. The best material gradually became available and Matawhero Gewürztraminer propagations were distributed along with Irwin's pinot noir and Mendoza clone chardonnay for early Marlborough and Martinborough plantings. Source: Sue Courtney
In Robert M. Parker, Jr.'s 1989 book Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide, 1989 - 1990 Edition, page 856, the only mention of New Zealand Gewürztraminer is on page 911; he admits he hasn't ventured to New Zealand, but of those vintages he has tried his comment is, "I do not have any enthusiasm for New Zealand Pinot Noir or Gewürztraminer,..."
Source: Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide, 1989 - 1990 Edition, by Robert M. Parker, Jr., page 814, A Fireside Book, © 1989.
Submitting Gewürztraminer Wines for Review: Wines should be submitted to
GWTRAMINER SAMPLER, W259 N9116 Hwy 164, Hartland, WI. 53029-9010, U.S.A.
There is no charge or reimbursement for wines submitted, and though all submitted wines will be tasted, I can't guarantee that this will occur, or that a review will appear on this website. For each wine submitted, please send (2) bottles, unless limited by production, then (1) bottle will be satisfactory.
Mike Reilly
Black Ridge Gewurztraminer 2002 Central Otago, by Jancis Robinson
"Wine trivia question number 1234: which is the world's southernmost wine
producer? Black Ridge in Alexandra, between the ski centre of Queenstown and
the blustery port of Dunedin in the south of New Zealand's South Island,
claims that honour, carefully, as 'the world's southernmost winery and
vineyard' for they are no longer the only vine growers around Alexandra. In
fact the promising Dry Gully's vineyards are a little further south than Black
Ridge's.
But ex-carpenter Verdun Burgess and Sue Edwards were
pioneers and have been growing grapes here
on terraces they carved out of the rock from 1981. (I am told by those lucky
enough to have visited Black Ridge that it is in a particularly romantic
location.) With winemaker Kevin Clark, they began work on their own winery in
1993, prehistory as far as Otago is concerned. Unlike many of the newer
investors in this fashionable region, they have established quite a reputation
within New Zealand entirely with their own hands and pockets.
Despite the high latitude, more than 45 degrees south of
the equator (way south of, for example, Puerto Montt in Chile and more than
the southernmost point of Africa), summers here can be extremely hot - so hot
that the vines sometimes shut down. Indeed at Black Ridge they have even tried
to prove that Cabernet Sauvignon can be ripened this far south.
I came across this 2002 Gewurz in London at the annual New
Zealand tasting and was most impressed by its intensity of lovely lychee
Gewurz flavour. Gewurzes can often be too oily and fat, but this one is
seriously lively, presumably thanks to all the natural acidity that is
available throughout New Zealand and is particularly notable this far away
from the equator. It is full and opulent on the nose and extremely persistent
but is not sweet. I could imagine its being delicious with smoked fish. The
only thing I object to is the silly flanged bottle, bane of corkscrews around
the world.
Needless to say, this wine is not made in huge quantities.
You could find it via the winery, address below, and the UK importer is
Bonhote Foster on bonhote-admin@dial.pipex.com. They report that stockists
include Philglas & Swiggot in London and Villeneuve in Scotland and that
one should expect to pay about 12 pounds a bottle for it. Black Ridge wines
are also exported to Australia."
Black Ridge Vineyard
Conroys Rd., PO Box 54, Alexandra, New Zealand
blackridge@clear.net.nz
Publication Date: 09 mar 04
Last Updated: 18 jan 05
Post script - Those who have noticed my comments on accents on the home page may see this as the first sign of my having abandoned the use of accents since I have omitted an Umlaut above the U of Gewurztraminer here but in fact I use the common convention of omitting accents when the word is used in an English-speaking country. Thus Chateau St Jean of California, but Château Margaux of Bordeaux. (But inserting that â, even using the most efficient form of cut and paste that I can think of, took what felt like a precious minute).
Bladen Gewürztraminer 1999 Very full bodied, rich and classic gewurz characters. Fabulous finish and gorgeous length. Only a tiny quantity made. Sue Courtney Tasted 9/99 NZWTF.
Church Road Cuvée Series Hawke's Bay Gewürztraminer 1997, Golden straw in colour with marked aromas of lychees, honey and rose petals. This wine exhibits the characteristics typical of spicy, ripe Gewürztraminer. The palate is long and rich with a careful balance between sugar and acid. The fruit is both powerful and elegant. The Church Road Cuvée Series is an experimental, limited-edition range of wines which focuses on winemaking processes such as handling techniques to create innovative, direction-setting wines. Winemaker's Notes: Golden straw in colour with marked aromas of lychees, honey and rose petals. This wine exhibits the characteristics typical of spicy, ripe Gewürztraminer. The palate is long and rich with a careful balance between sugar and acid. The fruit is both powerful and elegant. Food matching suggestions: Golden straw in colour with marked aromas of lychees, honey and rose petals, this wine exhibits the characteristics typical of spicy, ripe Gewürztraminer and matches food with a fruit base. Ideal to take along to your favourite BYO Thai or Indian restaurant. Or at home, match this wine with sautéed chicken & lychee salad with a coriander dressing. The grapes for this wine came from a small Omaranui Road vineyard in the sheltered Tutaekuri Valley of Hawke's Bay. The light, silty soils combined with warm vintage conditions have produced a rich, varietal Gewürztraminer. Alcohol: 12.3%, Note: The Church Road Cuvée Series is, with the exception of Church Road Cuvée Series only available from the Church Road Winery Cellar Door.
Cloudy Bay Gewürztraminer 1999 A totally interesting wine made in a dry style and fermented in old oak barrels. Wild yeast flavors dominate at first then lovely musk and lemon Turkish Delight and spicy characters emerge. There a toasty richness that lingers with soft acidity on the finish. Very rich and mouth-filling. Cellar door availability only. Sue Courtney 24Sep2001.
Cross Roads Gewürztraminer 1998 Rich, spicy, appealing aromas. Fresh classical Gewürztraminer flavors - spice and musk. Although 10 grams of residual sugar, this wine has a dry finish. Sue Courtney Tasted 9/99 NZWTF.
Dry River Gewurztraminer 1999 Tasted from Bottle 2856. 14% alc. Light gold with a lovely brightness, this has a slightly caramel/toffee texture. It's a honeyed wine with lovely sweetness, lovely balance, and a harmony of fruit, spice and alcoholic warmth. Botrytis influences the palate with zesty spice, while fragrant florals influence both the nose and palate. It's rich and full-bodied without being overpowering, and has great flavour and length. Rose petals linger. I rated this absolutely outstanding. Sue Courtney
Dry River Gewürztraminer 1998 What a gorgeous, voluptuous, rich and full-bodied wine. Floral, spicy, musky aromas carry through to the palate. Very, very, very rich and probably quite high alcohol due to the warmth on the finish and the color in my cheeks. Incredible flavors and length. Again some quite minerally components. An excellent example of Gewürztraminer. One to scare the socks off all the Alsace producers, should they get to try it. My favorite of the three white Dry River wines on show. $27. Sue Courtney 13Mar1999.
Dry River Gewurztraminer 1997 Tasted from Bottle 1849. 12.8% alc. Still tight and not revealing much on the nose but rich and powerful in palate with forward flavours of honey, waxy botrytis and apricot, then the spices start to emerge. This has a full rich body, a little toffee perhaps, with stonefruits and a touch of tropical fruit / mangoes influencing the spicy finish. A very powerful, richly textured wine with terrific length. Sue Courtney
The 1997 vintage marks the first of what was to become the 'house style' – Neil says he is pushing towards a 'Vendange Tardive'. "The wines do not survive on acidity, they survive on extract", he said. Sue Courtney
Dry River Gewurztraminer 1996 Tasted from Bottle 4206. 13.7% alc. Quite delicate on nose and still quite tight in the palate. A little dusty, this has a spicy backbone. The wine starts to open up and evolve with a bit of time in the glass to show sweet, musky aromatic spices, lychee juice, sweet fruit then dry spice. It's a contrast of sweet and dry as it titillates. Great length once again. Sue Courtney
1995 – none made. Sue Courtney
Dry River Gewurztraminer 1994 Tasted from Bottle 1111. 14% alc. Slightly oxidized smelling on the nose with a lanolin character running though it. There's an underlying delicate spiciness but overall it is quite mellow and heading down. But the finish is long with a musky sweetness and aromatic spices, peach jam, a touch of rose and vanilla pod linger. It would be good to see this from a bottle with a good cork. Sue Courtney
1993 – none made Sue Courtney
Dry River Gewurztraminer 1992 Tasted from Bottle No. 1044. 13.9% alc., Deep gold, quite developed in the colour, lychees on the nose, lychee jam, peach, apricot and spice in the palate. Even though the bottle had leaked the wine still had plenty of vibrancy and charm with strong spices, old rose, melon jam and musk lingering. This was made bone dry. Sue Courtney
Eskdale Hawkes Bay Gewürztraminer 1998 Rose petal and orange zest aromas and flavors typical of the variety. A quite mellow honeyed medium style with soft acids and spicy fruit that is taking its age well but probably at its optimum drinking window now. $19.95. Sue Courtney 6May2002.
Note: Eskdale Winegrowers is the longest established small winery in Hawkes Bay, hand-built and owner-operated by Kim and Trish Salonius since 1973. The winery has thrived for 28 years, producing three wines, hand picked and hand crafted. These wines are enhanced by years of new oak barrel ageing and released when the winemaker is satisfied that the wine has reached the complex character that gives it a cult following in New Zealand. The winery complex is an individual creation built totally by the winemaker himself, from recycled materials and tiles which came out as ballast on sailing ships to New Zealand. The last website provided: http://www.eskdalewinegrowers.co.nz no longer exists.
Forrest Marlborough Gewürztraminer 1999 First vintage. Delicate aromas and flavors. A character of rose petal, perhaps. But wait for the explosion as the richness of this wine makes itself known. Spice and musk and all things 'gewurzy' abound. It's full and intense with a touch of zingy acid on the finish. Powerful in its length, the flavors go on and on. I expect the nose of this wine will intensify as the wine develops, even as it sits in the glass for a while. An excellent wine and very enjoyable on the day. RRP $19.95. Sue Courtney 25Aug1999.
Framingham Marlborough Gewürztraminer 1999 Gently aromatic scents are, full of citrus zest. Subtle on entry, the flavors explode in the palate while a lusciousness, with the oily texture of runny honey, fills the mouth. There's a myriad of flavors such as musky pink 'smoker' lollies, lemon oil, orange zest, citrus blossom, the rose petal flavors of Turkish delight and zesty fragrant spices of a middle eastern origin. As the wine lingers the spice strengthens and its flavor can be compared to that of white pepper - think of the peppery scent of carnations. Off dry (7.5g/L rs) and the acids are soft. Terrific length. $16. WOTW Sue Courtney 22Oct2000.
Huntaway Reserve Gewürztraminer 1999 This little beauty has just been released and with the couple of years since vintage it has gained a delicious richness and depth to the flavor. Pale in color and lemon-rich, like the lemon in a lemon meringue pie with a honeyed richness to the taste, and garnished with a crystallized ginger-like spice. Dry on the finish and pretty intense in the length of flavor with its 14.5% alcohol. Recommended retail is $19.95. ****Sue Courtney 1/2 Mar 2001.
Winery Note: Date Harvested: April 1999. An aromatic Gewürztraminer with a mouth-watering bouquet of honeysuckle and ginger spice. The rich, dry, full-flavoured palate has ripe citrus and stonefruit flavours with a lingering spicy finish. Recommended Cellaring: This wine is lovely to drink now but will benefit from further bottle development by careful cellaring for up to three years. 14.5% alc.
Huntaway Reserve Marlborough Gewürztraminer 1998, Winemaking: Date Harvested: 20 April 1998, A very dry, arid season allowed the fruit to ripen earlier than normal. Alcohol 14.0%; A luscious dry wine, with an aromatic bouquet of rose petals and lychees. The palate is rich, full bodied and mouth filling with honey, spice and tropical fruit. Recommended Cellaring: This wine is fine drinking now but will benefit from further bottle development with careful cellaring for up to five years.
Huntaway Reserve Gewürztraminer 1997, (Hawke's Bay), A luscious wine, with an aromatic bouquet of rose petals and lychees. The palate is rich, full bodied and mouth filling with honey, spice and ripe tropical fruit. Launched in 1996, Huntaway Reserve has been successful in gathering critical acclaim, awards and a fine reputation for quality. Crafted in Gisborne, the Huntaway Reserve winemakers go to great lengths to search New Zealand for the best fruit for their wines, offering a range of elegant, approachable wines of distinctive regional blends.
Longridge Hawke's Bay Gewürztraminer 1999 - balanced, deliciously soft and round wine abounds with a typically intense varietal bouquet of rich lychee and rose petal aromas. The full-bodied palate exhibits exotic musk, spice and honeysuckle flavours, followed by a crisp dry finish. The wine is enjoyable now but will develop in complexity and depth with cellaring over the next two to three years. The fruit for this Gewürztraminer was picked at optimum ripeness before being gently crushed directly into the press, where it was held on skin contact for four hours to further enhance it's varietal character. The juice was then inoculated with a neutral strain of yeast before a slow cool fermentation to retain the strong fruit characters. The wine was then held on light yeast lees prior to filtration and bottling to add richness and subtle creamy complexities. 12.5% alc.
Longridge Hawke's Bay Gewürztraminer 1998 - Winemaker's Notes: This balanced, deliciously soft and round wine abounds with a typically intense varietal bouquet of rich lychee and rose petal aromas. The full-bodied palate exhibits exotic musk, spice and honeysuckle flavours, followed by a crisp dry finish. The wine is enjoyable now but will develop in complexity and depth with cellaring over the next two to three years.13.75% alc.
Longridge Hawke's Bay Gewürztraminer 1996 - a lovely rose petal, lychee bouquet with spicy, full bodied flavours on the palate and a dry finish.
Longridge Hawke's Bay Gewürztraminer 1997 - Winemaker's Notes:
Matawhero Reserve Gewürztraminer 1999 Medium gold
color. Lifted lemon
and musk aromas. Malolactic handling enhances rich musk and spice flavors in
the mouth. There's some toastiness, spice and herbal nuances on the finish and
sweet musk and floral notes linger. $26. Sue Courtney
24Sep2001.
A burnished gold colored wine with exquisite aromas of orange zest and spice. A
rich and rich full-bodied dry wine with enough age to have developed an ever so
slightly toasty complexity even though the wine has seen no oak. The flavor is
soft and rounded with a touch of an oily coriander leaf flavor alongside the
delicate fragrance of a Cecile Brunner rose. Spices such as cinnamon and whole
cardamons emerge and linger on the full flavored finish together with juicy
orange and its zest. $25. Sue Courtney
7May2002.
Matawhero Estate Gewürztraminer 1999 Bright yellow gold and although not as richly fragrant on the nose as the Reserve wine it has that classic Gewürztraminer muskiness. It's a vibrant lifted gewurz in the mouth, full and fleshy with a stone fruit richness, classic Gewürztraminer spice and a long full-bodied finish with lingering orange and cinnamon. It's nicely developed for current drinking and good value for the price. $16. Sue Courtney 7May2002.
Matawhero Estate Gewürztraminer 1997 Yellow gold in color with aromas of baked apple and lemon. An oily texture in the mouth with lifted spice, lemon musk and herbs. A fairly complex wine with a nice palate weight. The custard apple and creaminess that I detect on the finish comes from the malolactic fermentation. Lingering spice. $16. Sue Courtney 24Sep2001.
Montana 'P' Patutahi Estate Gisborne Gewürztraminer 1998 The color is rich lemon with golden hues and the aroma is delicate but in the palate, wow, the full explosion of ripe Gewürztraminer grapes hits you. Exactly what is the flavor of this wine? Is it rose petals - or perhaps one of the pansy petals you get in the baby leaf salads from upmarket vege shops? Yes, there's some of that. But most dominant is the subtle honey character with delicate lemon citrus - so very ripe and soft. I also detect a hint of mealiness there too There's an emerging sweetness on the intense finish and a lively honeyed aftertaste with lingering spice. Long and satisfying. 13.5% alc. $24.95. WOTW Sue Courtney 3Oct1999.
Peregrine Gewürztraminer 1999 - 90 pts Wine Enthusiast Magazine, USA, May 2001; Grapes: 100% Gewurztraminer, Brix:25, Alcohol Level:13.5%, Residual Sugar:4, Winemaker: Grant Taylor; Typically the earliest variety to ripen in Central Otago the 1999 vintage was left to hang on the vine until early May. The long cool autumn meant there was not an excessive accumulation of sugar but rather an increased flavour development. This wine displays the intense lychee and spice flavours, which develop in a cool climate. The aim has been to make a ripe soft style of wine from climate conditions almost identical to Alsace. We believe this is the appropriate way to handle the variety in Otago.
Peregrine Gewürztraminer 1998 - This vintage has produced an aromatic gently spicy wine with a warm rich palate, juicy sweetness and a dash of racy acidity..
Phoenix Gisborne Gewürztraminer 1998: This is another gorgeous wine from NZ's best Gewürztraminer producer. Fabulous aroma of lychees and spice overlain with the scent of blossoms. In the palate an elegant, rich, luscious flavor of ripe Gewürztraminer fruit and a lovely persistence of flavors in the palate. Sue Courtney Tasted Sep 1998 *****
Saints Gisborne Gewürztraminer 1999 - Colour: A rich gold. Aromas: The distinctive rose petal, lychee and spice aromas of ripe Gewürztraminer fruit. Palate: Well structured, refreshing and spicy with a finish finely balanced between natural sweetness and acid. Although excellent drinking now, this wine will continue to develop with cellaring over the next five years. Almost 70% of the grapes in this wine are from Montana's Patutahi vineyard in Gisborne where the northerly aspect and deep, silty, free draining soils, make it an ideal location for growing Gewürztraminer. The remaining grapes are from Tolaga Bay and Hawke's Bay. 13.3% alc.
Saints Gisborne Gewürztraminer 1998 - Rich golden colour reflects the hot vintage and the higher sugars. Lifted, distinctive lychee, rose petal and spice aromas are mirrored in the taste. Even, concentrated and richly flavoured wine with balanced acidity and natural sweetness. Because of the wine's softer acidity the winemaker's intention is that the wine is consumed with two years. Store carefully and taste at intervals. 13% alc.
Saints Gisborne Gewürztraminer 1997 - Aromas: The distinctive rose petal, lychee and spicy aromas, typical of ripe gewürztraminer fruit on the nose. Palate: Full and ripe with rich, spicy characteristics. These flavours are balanced with the natural sweetness and acidity of the grapes. This wine is excellent drinking now, but will continue to develop with cellaring over the next five years. This style is generally recommended for early drinking while the wine has all its fruit character. Taste at intervals and drink when the wine meets your expectations. Sixty percent of the grapes are from the Patutahi district and 40% from the Tolaga Bay district of Gisborne. After the grapes reached full ripeness some of the crop was harvested on 10 March, with the remainder of the vintage being harvested on 26 March 1997. 13.2% alc.
Saints Gisborne Gewürztraminer 1996 - Colour: Rich and golden, typical of mature Gewürztraminer grapes. Aromas: The distinctive rose petal, lychee and spice aromas of ripe Gewürztraminer fruit. Palate: Full, ripe fruit, rich in spice. These flavours have been balanced with natural grape sweetness and acid. Although excellent as a fresh, young wine, this Gewurztraminer will continue to develop with cellaring over the next five years. 12.2% alc.
Saints Gisborne Hawk's Bay Gewürztraminer 1995 - Colour: Golden straw. Aromas: Lychees, honey and rose-petals. Palate: Long and rich with a careful balance between sweetness and acidity. The fruit flavours are both powerful and elegant. Attractive as a fresh young wine but a further 3-8 years will provide extra subtlety and complexity. The grapes for this wine have come from a small vineyard, in the Heretaunga Plains.12.5% alc.
Sandihurst Gewürztraminer 1998 Intense, lemon meringue, angelica and spice. Nice zingy muskiness. Good palate weight with a delicate richness and lifted finish with a lingering citrus and musk A little developed and an oxidate hint lingers with honey. Sue Courtney 26Sep2001. Note: website under reconstruction
Seifried Estate Gewürztraminer 1999, This wine is fragrant, aromatic and typically floral. It has a hint of ginger on the palate which compliments the slightly off-dry style. This wine will develop up to 5-6 years from vintage. Awards: Silver ~ Air New Zealand 2001
Seifried Estate Gewürztraminer 1998, This wine shows clearly the top vintage experienced in Nelson. The wine is very satisfying with excellent depth of lemon/spicy flavours which is dryish, delicate and lingering. Continue to enjoy this beauty into the new century.
Stonecroft Gewürztraminer 1999 (Hawkes Bay) Aromatic with lychees, lemon-peel and spice appearing in the aroma. A bit of a yeasty note at first in the palate but evolves to be very full and rich. Some phenolics and a character I do not like, but this, whatever it is, disappears. A touch of acidity. It seems more advanced than the '98 at this stage and the flavors explode in the palate to become rich and full on the finish. Tasted 20/2/2000 at the Stonecroft release tasting. Sue Courtney
Winery Note: Opulent fragrance, floral nose followed by an intense palate with huge fruit weight and mid-palate. The wine was harvested close to vendange tardive ripeness so has 20 gms of residual sugar to maintain an alcohol balance. Crop levels were lower than usual (as for most of the '99 vintage) further enhancing the intensity of this wine. Big enough to stand up to very spicy food.
Stonecroft Hawkes Bay Gewürztraminer 1998 A lemon colored wine with gentle scents of a floral nature, in the palate the texture is fine and the wine appears dryish at first, then the flavors slowly open up and explode to a full-bodied, rich, rounded, mouth-filling experience. Lots of nuances of a variety of tropical fruits - lychee, banana, loquat, babaco - with a citrus oil coating and a touch of spice lead into a soft finish with a gorgeous persistency of length, keeping the flavors mulling around the taste buds for an eternity. Lovely balance. 14% alc. 8 g/L rs. WOTW Sue Courtney 7Mar1999.
Winery Note: Big would be the word to describe this wine in almost every sense. Intense bouquet with big full palate and long finish with lingering spice. 14% alcohol with a small amount of residual sugar to maintain balance. This wine will cellar extremely well and is already starting to develop the rich mid-palate texture I desire in a Gewürztraminer.
Stonecroft Gewürztraminer 1996 Honey gold with a bronze hint. Floral, musky, citrus, orange rind, Turkish delight, nettles and hot ginger spice. Very soft acids, rich and full-bodied and lush on the end palate with orange blossom lingering. Starting to develop. Probably at the end of its plateau and starting to head downhill. A touch of astringency, perhaps. But overall very nice, rich and alcoholic with the blood rushing to my cheeks after only a glass.. An extremely long and lusciously pleasant aftertaste. Sue Courtney 7Dec2000.
Stonecroft Gewürztraminer 1994 This was Alan's last bottle. Light gold with bright hues, mellow on the nose, showing some development, with sweet stone fruit aromas, very perfumed. Mellow in the palate too with delicate spices, rose petals and a lovely sweetness of fruit, though otherwise dry. Beautifully balanced with ripe fruit sweetness, there's a touch of zesty acidity and lingering spices. The finish is full and rich. I tasted this wine with Prawns seared with lime juice and Vietnamese mint, quite delicious. 13.5% alc. Sue Courtney 29Feb2004.
Te Whare Ra Marlborough Gewürztraminer 1998 Excellent varietal characters with hints of lychees on the nose then full-on voluptuous gewürztraminer flavors in the palate. Becomes quite floral. Terrific aftertaste and great persistence. A medium style with 17.5 grams of residual sugar. $20. WOTW Sue Courtney 14Mar1999.
Villa Maria Reserve Gewürztraminer 1999 A blend of 60% Marlborough and 40% Hawkes Bay fruit. Soft aromas, not particularly pungent. Sweet, luscious fruit with lovely spice and rose petal. Deliciously balanced, gentle, delicate but a tad restrained at this stage. Excellent weight and gorgeous lingering texture and mouthfeel. 17/20. Sue Courtney Tasted 30/10/2000
Villa Maria Private Bin Gewürztraminer 1998 This wine is a blend of Marlborough and Gisborne fruit. I found the aroma to be slightly unusual in that it exhibited lanolin aromas. It has interesting bubblegum and pear drop (lolly) flavors without being too spicy. Michelle says "these are purely unadulterated grapes". *** Sue Courtney Sep1998.
Whitehaven Gewürztraminer 1999 (Marlborough). Rather a flat dull nose. In the palate soft musky spice and peaches. but lacks the lusciousness I would have expected for a gold medal winner at the Bragato Wine Awards. Perhaps a hint of TCA. FG Sue Courtney 7Oct2000.
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