Domaine Weinbach Cuvee Laurence Gewurztraminer 2018
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Wine
Enthusiast -
James
Suckling
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
This Gewurztraminer is versatile and can be paired with smoked salmon as well as ginger-braised pork, Southeast Asian cuisine such as red coconut curry, Indian, or Moroccan-style dishes. Also great on its own, as an aperitif, or with foie grasand rich, mature cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Damask rose and crushed elder leaf make for a subtle yet aromatic topnote on the nose of this wine. The palate comes in with gentle, medium sweetness that accentuates peachy juiciness at the core and rounds things out with smooth, candied-lemon flavor. Freshness balances this harmonious wine with an endless, off-dry finish. Drink 2025–2040.
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James Suckling
This is a rich, full-bodied gewurztraminer with lush papaya and lychee aromas. But the power is underplayed on the palate, where it has an extremely seductive texture that extends right through the silky, long finish. None of the bitterness or forthright sweetness that makes some wines of this category very unfriendly with food. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.
Other Vintages
2020-
James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker -
Wine
Spectator
At the foot of the majestic Schlossberg hill in Alsace stands one of the finest estates in all of France. Weinbach produces richly concentrated, fragrant dry Rieslings, for which the Grand Cru Schlossberg vineyard is particularly well-situated. Ranging from the delicate Reserve Personelle, to the intense, dry Cuvée Théo, the elegant, very dry, very fine Schlossberg, the rich and fruity Cuvée Ste. Catherine, to the majestic and full-bodied Grand Cru Schlossberg Cuvée Ste. Catherine, each Riesling is distinctive. The rich, rose-scented, spicy Gewurztraminers from Domaine Weinbach are among the finest in the world. Ranging in style from the slightly sweet, rich and powerful Altenbourg Cuvée Laurence, to the stunning, full-bodied, off-dry Grand Cru Furstentum Cuvée Laurence, these are rich yet elegant wines with great aromatic complexity.
Gewürztraminer, an expressive and aromatically distinctive white grape variety, is considered a noble variety in the Alsace region of France, and produces wonderful wines in the mountainous Alto Adige region of NE Italy. Generally this grape grows well in cooler regions and its natural intensity makes it a great ally for flavorful cuisine such as Indian, Middle Eastern or Moroccan. Somm Secret—Because of a charming perfume and tendency towards slight sweetness, Gewürztraminer makes for an excellent gateway wine for those who love sweet wines but want to venture into the realm of drier whites.
With its fairytale aesthetic, Germanic influence and strong emphasis on white wines, Alsace is one of France’s most unique viticultural regions. This hotly contested stretch of land running north to south on France’s northeastern border has spent much of its existence as German territory. Nestled in the rain shadow of the Vosges mountains, it is one of the driest regions of France but enjoys a long and cool growing season. Autumn humidity facilitates the development of “noble rot” for the production of late-picked sweet wines, Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles.
The best wines of Alsace can be described as aromatic and honeyed, even when completely dry. The region’s “noble” varieties, the only ones permitted within Alsace’s 51 Grands Crus vineyards, are Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, and Pinot Gris.
Riesling is Alsace’s main specialty. In its youth, Alsace Riesling is dry, fresh and floral, but develops complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics, and is often utilized for late harvest wines. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Muscat, vinified dry, tastes of ripe green grapes and fresh rose petal.
Other varieties grown here include Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Chasselas, Sylvaner and Pinot Noir—the only red grape permitted in Alsace and mainly used for sparkling rosé known as Crémant d’Alsace. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and unlike other French regions, are also labeled with the variety name.