Willm Gewürztraminer, 2007 (Alsace, France)
Price: $14.99
Grade: A-
The wine region of Alsace, France stands between two worlds. For almost a century before World War II, Alsace was considered part of Germany, separated from its French neighbor by the Vosges Mountains. After the Treaty of Versailles, however, Alsace became part of France. The region’s liminal heritage is reflected in its architecture, language and culinary practices; the charming city of Salsbourg has buildings with French balconies but German roofs, a predominant French lexicon with occasional German phrasing and meals containing bratwurst with escargot as a garnish.
Alsace’s major grape varietals include Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner, all of which are also made in Germany. Interestingly, the region has begun growing Pinot Noir, the staple grape of Burgundy, France. Wine labels and quality designations in Alsace are pretty easy to decipher. Nearly 80 percent of the wine produced there is “Vin d’ Alsace,” which is normal table wine bearing the name of the single grape varietal on the label. Alsace Grand Cru, by contrast, designates a higher quality wine made in an established, well-respected sub-region and town. Alsace Grand Crus, which usually retail for $25 to $50, are bargain buys for the quality.
Two other notes: One, if the label has the phrase “Vendange Tardive,” then the wine was made from sugary late harvest grapes, which will make for a very sweet wine. Two, the phrase, “Selection de Grains Nobles,” means the wine was produced from innocuously rotten grapes. Viticulturalists will actually let a “noble rot” called botrytis cinerea shrivel the grapes, which concentrates the sugar content, so they can produce a sweet, delicious wine. But don’t worry! Noble rot is totally safe — hence the “noble” moniker — and accounts for some of the most sumptuous wines of the world. True to its regional history, these above winemaking techniques also are used in Germany.
Alsace makes the best white wines in the world. No question. No region can concentrate flavors and produce mouth-watering acidity in wines like Alsace. The Vosges Mountains, formally a barrier to France, also serve as a shield against rain clouds, which gives Alsace a perfect dry climate for ripening grapes. The soil, which has diverse traces of granite, limestone, sandstone, clay and volcanic deposits, also provides a plethora of winegrowing conditions.
Of the many elegant grapes of Alsace, Gewürztraminer is the most interesting. In a blind tasting, Gewürztraminer is, by far, the easiest to identify. No other grape has its intense floral character which include notes of perfume, honey, melon, roses, violets and lychee. The grape also displays cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg spices. In fact, the word “gewürz” means “spice” in German. The Willm Gewürztraminer is a solid wine. It displays the classic characteristics of the grape, particularly the perfume element. You honestly will be hard-pressed to blunder and get a bad Alsace wine.
The best bottle of wine that I have ever had was an Alsace Grand Cru Gewürztraminer that I purchased in Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport for 13 euros. (Tangent: Duty free shops in airports are great places to buy wine!) The aspect of Alsace wine I love the most is how the flavors and aromas explode passionately during tasting. Just when you think the wine has one simplistic flavor, a completely different characteristic offers a new experience. Like the land and culture from which its grapes are forged, Alsace wines are masters of polyvalence.
Jeff’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. He can be reached at j.katra@cavalierdaily.com.
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