Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Kuentz-Bas Gewurztraminer Tradition, Alsace, 1983

I like an occasional bottle of Gewurztraminer but rarely can find anyone to enjoy a bottle with me. That's the main reason this wine has lingered in the cellar for these 30-some years. While it hasn't made the transformation from an ugly duckling to a beautiful swan, it is every bit as good as it was in the mid-1980s when I bought it for less than $5 a bottle.

Deep gold but not a whole lot deeper than it was in its youth. Still bright and lively. The classic Gewurztraminer smells are powerful. Gewurz means spicy, but, as Jancis Robinson has pointed out, it would be hard to find a spice on your shelf that resembles the aroma of Gewurztraminer. Roses and barber shop are better terms. On the palate, too, it's full bodied and powerful. Nothing shy about this wine, and there is no reason to apologize for lack of subtlety. There is plenty to like in this wine.

No comments:

Post a Comment