Heaven Scented - NZ Gewürztraminers (Issue 122, May 2007)
|
 Gewürztraminer drifted in the “not so cool” doldrums for around 15 years in this country, but recently there’s been a resurgence, both in interest and in the amount of land under vine. To a degree, the impact of Asian fusion and Pacific Rim cuisine in both restaurant dining rooms and our own has probably contributed to its new-found coolness, and there is no question that its high-impact perfume and lush oily, spicy palate matches well to those styles of food. But there’s more to the great German grape than this, and there’s a greater breadth of styles gushing forth from the country’s winemakers than ever, something the panel was delighted to see.
“It was a good class,” said John Belsham in typically understated fashion. The class attracted 41 entries – a reasonable representation from all the expected regions, the grape ripening better in the hotter climes of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne than down the line in, say, Central Otago.
If you haven’t had a Gewürz for a while, cast your eyes down the page: there is no shortage of excellent offerings. These are wines of impact, depth and complexity, at a range of prices, from a variety of regions. The choice is yours.
|
Cuisine Top Five NZ Gewürztraminer
To qualify for Top Five status, wines must be readily available for general purchase. Some wines might rate as high or higher but are hard to find. Wines are listed in order of final scores.
|
|
|
1 |
|
Crossroads Destination Series Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2005 |
|
|
2 |
|
Lawson’s Dry Hills Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2006 |
|
|
3 |
|
Johanneshof Cellars Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2006 |
|
|
4 |
|
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Gewürztraminer 2006 |
|
|
5 |
|
Waimea Nelson Gewürztraminer 2006 |
|
|
