Seifried Estate, Gewurztraminer 2012, New Zealand
Gewurztraminer is not a grape variety that I highlight as Wine of the Week very often. Personally, when Gewurz is good, I find it ravishing stuff, but its heady, powerfully perfumed character really splits the jury into lovers and haters. New Zealand has a lot of Gewurz planted, and this from Seifried, a family-run estate, is gorgeous: the nose is not in that hyper-perfumed style of flowers, Turkish delight and Nivea cream; there’s a touch of all that, but mostly it is about really ripe, beguiling, downy peach skins and nectarine fleshiness. In the mouth it is off-dry – maybe even medium-sweet – but that sweetness is beautifully done, both tropical fruit sweetness and sugar, and a lovely glycerine richness, though an orange and grapefruit acidity pushes through and gives delightful balance in the finish. Wines like this make great food wines for the right dishes – watch the video for more information and specific food-matching options. It’s £10.50 from The Halifax Wine Company, but it is also stocked by many other independent wine merchants, a list of which is here.
