Gewurztraminer
Gewurztraminer is one of the most distinctive white grape varieties of Alsace. This aromatic, expressive and sometimes disconcerting variety is instantly recognisable. Descended from an old variety called Traminer, it has found ideal conditions in Alsace, flourishing particularly on well-exposed plots of marl-limestone, sandstone or granite soil. Its bunches are compact, its berries pinkish, and it reaches maturity quickly, requiring great care on the vine. Although susceptible to coulure, it is quite resistant to late-season diseases. It produces rich wines with very intense aromas of rose, lychee, tropical fruit and spices, sometimes with smoky or musky notes depending on the terroir. On the palate, it is full-bodied and sometimes oily in texture, with low acidity but good intensity.
The power of its aromas can take one by surprise. At a blind tasting in Colmar, an experienced taster thought he was dealing with a sweet wine from the southern hemisphere, when in fact it was a dry Gewurztraminer from a Grand Cru vineyard in Alsace. Indeed, it’s quite easy to be confused by this variety.
Although it is often associated with sweet wines of the “vendanges tardives” (late harvest) and SGN (séléction de grains nobles) kind, in a dry style, it can also produce intense, complex whites. Several great Alsatian estates have made a name for themselves with their excellent Gewurztraminer wines, including Zind-Humbrecht, Marcel Deiss, Albert Boxler and Agathe Bursin.
