NV Willm Brut Blanc de Blancs, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

10% Gewurztraminer, 30% Pinot Blanc, 30% Pinot Gris, 30% Riesling.  This is made in the traditional method.  It does not appear to be labelled as Cremant.  Light silvery/yellow/white/gold in color.  Very pale.  A nice head of medium sized bubbles.  The nose is nice with a bit of seltzer and slight lemon.  On the palate, this has slight lime peel with some juniper berry (Gin) and other herbals.  Not a lot of depth but very refreshing.  Slightly short on the finish.  This is easy drinking sparkling wine.  Dry and very food friendly.  At $16, this is a nice value.  

2016 Albert Mann Gewurztraminer, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+

This was a very good value and is drinking very well.  Around $20.  Light golden in color.  The nose is more restrained with nice lychees, peaches and minerality.  On the palate, this is slightly viscous and slightly sweet.  None of the bitter almond that sometimes shows up in Gewurztraminer.  Peaches and minerals.  Best when not served to cold.  Perhaps around $60F.  The wine gets more expressive and rounder.  Worked with a wide variety of foods.  This is a bit more restrained than many of the other Gewurztraminers in this price range which is probably a good thing.  It works more as a tot

2016 Willm Gewurztraminer Reserve, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Light gold in color.  The nose is nice if a bit reserved.  Lychees with slight peach.  On the palate, this is mostly dry with just a hint of sweetness.  More like a perception than actual sweetness.  Peaches.  Refreshing.  Nice balance.  This is a very food friendly wine.  Easy to drink.  Good value at around $20.  No bitterness.  Drinking well right now, I don't think it improves.  

2016 Lucien Albrecht Gewurztraminer Reserve, France, Alsace, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Light golden in color with some green hues swirling about.  A very nice nose with lychee nuts, slight peaches and almonds.  On the palate, this has a slight bitterness that is often found in Gewurztraminer.  It is medium sweet which is also what the indice on the back label indicates.  The palate has slight peach with nice minerality.  Slightly viscous.  Consumed over two days, it was better on day 2 with the bitterness receding and the wine coming together.  Reasonably food friendly with lighter foods though would also work well with heavier spiced foods such as Indian or Thai.  It probabl

2016 Tulip Winery White Tulip, Israel, Upper Galilee, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+

Israel now has a vibrant wine culture.  Despite a history going back for centuries, wine production is really rather recent as little wine was made during the period of Arab control.  Tulip is one of the better wineries making a wide range of international varietals.  A blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Gewurztraminer, this is green/gold in color.  The nose has some initial lemon notes followed with some canned white grapefruit juice qualities.  On the palate, this is round but retains a nice acidity.  Grapefruit.  Slight sour lemon candy notes.  A bit clipped and warming on the finish. 

2015 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Rangen de Thann Clos St. Urbain, France, Alsace

Vintage: 
2015
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A

Light golden in color.  What a gorgeous nose.  Lychees, peaches and minerals.  On the palate, this is slightly sweet but not much.  Great minerality.  Some peach notes.  Wonderful mouthfeel.  Good acidity.  Went great with spicy Indian food.  Long finish.  A beautiful wine.  It is still quite young and will continue to improve for a decade at least and be good for another decade after that.  $75 but might just be worth it!

Thanksgiving Wines - Whites

Tim Halloran's piece on Thanksgiving Reds can be viewed here . Thanksgiving dinner, while delicious and nutritious (well, at least delicious) is not the easiest meal to pair with wines. So many different elements are present; there are savory/mild foods like turkey, gravy, yams and potatoes, crisp/acidic foods like cranberry sauce and salads, and hearty foods like ham and stuffing. Throw in a few other vegetables and you have a veritable cornucopia of flavors and textures to match.

Vins de France 101: Alsace, France’s Little Wine Treasure

Take a deep breath. While exhaling, say “Ahhhl zas.” It resonates like a yoga mantra with the emphasis on “Ahhh.” The phonetic version of Alsace reveals the beauty of this little border province and the prominence of one of France’s smallest wine regions. It harbors a medieval landscape from a bygone era. Half-timbered houses, cobbled streets, and Romanesque churches have you anticipating someone heavily cloaked in costume to walk by you munching on a giant turkey leg.

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