2018 Kofererhof Gewurztraminer Italy (Other)

2018 Kofererhof Gewurztraminer

92 RP

Featured Review

Boasting fragrant and sweet primary fruit, this high-altitude wine delivers honeysuckle, jasmine and tropical fruit aromas. The Köfererhof 2018 Alto Adige Valle Isarco Gewürztraminer glides over the palate with natural glycerin and a creamy texture. There is some fruity fattiness here that would pair nicely with the spicy flavors of India or Southeast Asia. The wine finishes with a note of raw honey or beeswax. Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Robert Parker | 92 RP

Pale golden yellow. Rose oil, grapefruit, cinnamon and nutmeg on the expressive nose. Then similarly expressive on the palate, with notes of orange oil and grapefruit and a lovely sweet-bitter nuance that is very typical of the variety.

Vinous Media | 92 VM

Type of Wine	Italy (Other) : There are dozens of grape varietals grown in Italy so no wonder they produce such a broad range of most exquisite wines. Some of the most cultivated red varieties are Nebbiolo, Aglianico, Sangiovese, and Barbera, while Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon are also popular. Among whites, you're likely to find Pinot Grigio, Trebbiano, or Vernaccia varietals.
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	Italy : Italy is renowned as one of the world’s greatest gastronomic havens; from certified Prosciutto di Parma to the sea-side seafood eateries on the island of Sicily. However, this epicurean experience could not possibly be as hedonistic without the ethereal combination of the country’s plethora of fine wines. It seems unfair that a nation should be able to boast, both, some of the world’s greatest cuisine as well as its greatest wines. Italian wine is one of the most sought after in the world, and has become the second most produced in the world, behind only France. Stretching an impressive 736 miles from northern Italy to the peninsula’s southern tip, the country’s geography generates an enormous array of topography, climate and soil structure. This is an extremely important quality of its winegrowing and making industry which lays claim to nearly 550 different grape varietals, which all desire their own necessities, in terms of terroir and climate. The still red wines of Italy truly characterize the nation’s vast and expansive terroir; Nebbiolo dominates Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco reign king and queen of the region’s production. Hailing from Brunello di Montalcino in Tuscany, the rockstar Sangiovese grape has become synonymous with greatness. Vin Santo sweet wines have taken on a mighty feat of competing with the glorious wines of Sauternes, and of course, Prosecco. Prosecco, located in Trieste (northeast Italy) and its creation of luxuriously effervescent styles of wine has become Italy’s answer to Champagne. The Glera grape variety, which has become synonymous with the name Prosecco, is the main ingredient and is beloved in the appellation where the village of Prosecco’s name has become world renowned. The blurred boundary between Italy and the countries of Slovenia and Austria, where German influence still resonates through Friuli wines. The prevalence of Riesling and other such grape varietals is high in this region and have become extremely popular on today’s market. With nearly 702,000 hectares of grapevines covering the massive and diverse landscape, Italy’s annual average of 48.3 million hectoliters of wine production is second only to France in terms of volume and Spain in terms of hectares of vines. The country is vast and overwhelming when it comes to the culinary arts, but perhaps even this is overshadowed by its production of some of the world’s most sought after wines, whether the omnipresent Chianti to the highly collectible and sought after Amarone della Valpolicalla.
Subregion	Alto Adige