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2005 ZMOR Gewurztraminer
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Wine Details for 2005 ZMOR Gewurztraminer
| Type of Wine |
California White
: If you're in the mood for a creative, compelling white wine, few regions can compete with California, and it's immense varietal diversity. With the pure, potent essence of grapes such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Pinot Gris, these wines will stimulate your senses and arouse your intellect. Give in, and enjoy. |
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| Varietal |
Gewurztraminer
: The wines of Germany, Austria and Alsace are all too often lumped into one single category: Germany, Austria and Alsace. Whether this is due to the proximity of the winegrowing regions or the simplest way to categorize a slew of confusing wines, it does a disservice to the many wonderful and many different grape varietals that inhabit these respective locations. Not only does the terroir of each region vary, but the grapes are very much individual in their own right, unique and possess their own distinguishing qualities. One such grape, Gewurztraminer, or Gewurtz (as it is often shortened) is among this grouping, but deserves to be singled out in a positive light and examined to be fully appreciated and understood. The Gewurztraminer grape is distinctive in many ways; one being its pink skin. Due to its pink color, the pigment remains in the wine giving it a deep golden, sometimes copper color. The variety also gets its distinctive aroma from the presence of monoterpenes (compounds found in the essential oils extracted from fruit or other plants) in the skins. The primary aromatic descriptions used to define Gewurztraminer are typically lychee, rose petal, Turkish delight, tropical fruit and perfume. On the palate, it is marked by its full texture and low acidity with flavors of stone fruits such as mango, peach and apricot and spices such as ginger and cinnamon. Gewurztraminer is quite versatile and can be fashioned in various styles, ranging from dry to sweet, late harvested or dessert wines. Perhaps the most notable wines produced from Gewurztraminer are the labels including the designations Vendange Tardive (VT) and Selection des Grains Nobles (SGN). Vendange Tardive is a particular classification which signifies a late harvest wine with greater than usual concentration of natural sugars which is the result of the grapes having achieved a longer hang time on the vine with minimum required ripeness levels. Selection des Grains Nobles wines are rare due to the grapes being affected by Botrytis Cinerea (a beneficial fungus which attacks the grapes) or noble rot, as well as the tedious picking process. These grapes have reached even higher sugar levels due to the extreme concentration of sugars and flavors trapped in the grapes during the process of noble rot. Even some drier examples will have residual sugar in the wine in order to counterbalance the drying phenolics often found in the resulting wine. The grape is generally quite high in sugars due, in part, to its late-ripening and subsequently elevated alcohol levels can serve not only to show heat in the aftertaste, but to further highlight phenolics. Much like Riesling, Gewurztraminer is highly reflective of the terroir in which it is cultivated. The grape reflects the nature of its soil or origin. For example, marly-limestone terroirs produce deep, rich and spicy wines with a good acidic backbone. Granite, sandstone or quartz soils can produce aromatic and elegant wines with lots of fruit, while limestone terroirs will produce full-bodied wines with strong fruit and good acidity. The grape prefers cooler climate locations so many of the “new world” winegrowing locations do not suit the needs of the grape. There are small holdings in the Alto Adige appellation of Northern Italy, the Penedes region of Spain and cooler climate locations in southern Chile. Gewurztraminer grows extremely well in Pfalz, Germany (where it likely originated) and in the Styria and Burgenland appellations of Austria; however, one location trumps all others: Alsace, France. While Alsace is not the ancestral home of Gewurztraminer, it is arguably its spiritual home. For it has found the perfectly attuned climate and terroir to thrive. And thrive it does… in the rich clay soils of the region, which lies between the Vosges Mountains and the French border with Germany, marked by the Rhine River. The Vosges play a vital role in defining the region’s terroir; they not only provide protection from the prevailing westerly winds, but also cast a rain shadow over the area, contributing to the low rainfall of its continental climate. The rich soil deposits are evidence of the glaciers which long ago shaped the mountains, foothills and the plains where the key viticultural areas are located. This precious terror is comprised of sandstone, granite and volcanic rock types in the foothills, clay-rich limestone and marlstone on the alluvial plains below. The best examples of the varietal are generally regarded as being from the Grand Cru vineyards of Alsace. The VT and SGN wines from these locations are some of the finest and longest lived wines in the world. The Gewurztraminer grape is one that is often misunderstood, mistaken, or neglected entirely due to the difficulty of its spelling or pronunciation; however it is a unique and glorious gem that deserves attention and appreciation. As the great Jancis Robinson states, “…the wine world without Gewurztraminer would be a very much poorer place.” |
| Country |
US
: As one of the most prolific and innovative wine regions in the world, America is a joy to explore. Most wine connoisseurs will agree that the nation's finest and most compelling wines are being produced today, which means that we have front-row seats to one of the most inspirational stories in wine history. While other regions tend to focus on specific wine styles and have somewhat strict rules as to which varietals you could grow, areas like California have few such restrictions in place. As a result, creative visionaries behind America's most reputable estates have been able to develop compelling, unique, and innovative styles, with a level of terroir expression that rivals even France's largest giants. |
| Region |
California
: With a history of wine production that dates back to the 18th century, California currently sits as one of the world's most prolific and reputable wine regions. With an area as vast as California, you can expect a colorful collage of terroir profiles, a series of microclimates, and micro-environments that give the wine a unique, memorable appeal. The region's produce is far from homogenized in that sense, and it would take you countless hours to sample all of it. While the region boasts scars from the Prohibition era, it went through what can only be described as a viticultural Renaissance sometime after the 1960s. At that point, California went from a port-style, sweet wine region to a versatile and compelling competitor on the world market. Today, no matter which way your taste in wine leans, you can find a new favorite producer among California's most talented. Notable sub-regions include legendary names like Napa Valley and Sonoma County, places that any wine lover would die to visit. California's quintessential warm climate allows for incredibly ripe fruit expressions, a style that provides a stark contrast to Old World-inspired, earthy classics. Even where inspiration was clearly taken from staple French appellations, Californian winemakers put their own unique spin on the wine. |
Overview
| Producer | ZMOR |
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