Montinore Estates, Gewürztraminer, 2006
After having a fabulous Alsatian Gewürztraminer recently, I've been on the prowl for a decent Oregon version of the varietal. And this is one that I really liked. Even Denise liked it, and she doesn't normally like white, let along something that even hints of being sweet. Though, that's not to say this was sweet; it was not.
The nose was passion-fruit and rose — sweet fruit and floral. The taste was herbal and floral — with a great passion-fruit flavor. And honey (but not in a sweet way). The finish is floral — rose. We had this along with another Alsatian Gewürztraminer, and this one was a bit thinner, but in a good way. This is not at all syrupy (whereas the Alsatianwas just slightly syrupy) . And it's not sweet — though I think it has a subtle sweetness, but perhaps that's just the fruit flavors themselves. And helping this not be sweet, there's a bit of tangerine at the end. Not bitter, but just enough acid to give it depth and structure.
Cost:
Rating:
8.5