Shout “Cowboys rule” in a crowded sports bar. Go ahead and try it — people will quickly collect into adversarial camps, some rallying to the Dallas side, others in stern opposition. You will achieve the same result dropping the phrase “gun control” at a bipartisan political debate.
Well, few wines are as divisive as Gewurztraminer. Mention the varietal and foes will furrow their brows — the wine aficionado version of a heated chorus of jeers — and berate you with memories of tacky harlot labels, cloying and doused with perfume.
“That’s one of the things we battle with, the market not knowing the varietal,” observed Jason Moulton of Brassfield Estate Winery.
At its best, Gerwurztraminer produces exquisitely intricate, aromatic wine. And the Brassfield 2014 Gerwurztraminer, scheduled to release at the beginning of November, represents the varietal at its best.
The scent of Sliced lychee rises to the nose, along with apples cut under a summer sun. This is followed by a bouquet of heather and floral aromas. Lurking behind the fruit and flowers are subtle complexities — soft balsa, candied petals and a stick of cinnamon untouched by a grater.
It is a beautiful wine even before you take that first sip.
An engaging progression takes place on the palate. The wine opens with the soft lychee and apple flavors, lured in by deep breaths, sapped of plunging sugars. The flavor begins to intensify, however, with canteloupe, tropical fruit, dusty spice and earthy confection — Turkish delight is common in the profile of great Gewurztraminers — develop and take hold.
The emergence of rose petals and other floral attributes indicate the finish. The languorous essence of lychee and white fruits return for a bow, along with soft nips of spice. And this cordial, inviting entente lingers.
It calls for you to take another sip.
“We’re thrilled with it,” Moulton said. “It’s a complex, layered wine.”
It’s also someone one does not expect to find in the warm climes of Lake County. Gerwurztraminer can be a finicky vine, but it accepts the cool heights of Alpine foothills, as well as the crumbling Alsatian soils.
Fortunately Brassfield’s estates feature a couple of plots that seem to suit the grape. They grow in the valley of the winery’s High Serenity vineyard.
“Since we’re up here so high we have a cooling effect,” Moulton pointed out. “I wouldn’t grow this anywhere else.”
The crew at Brassfield aged the wine in a traditional style, allowing it to interact with the lees for an extended period and stirring on occasion. The resting period included used French oak to limit the impact of wood and allow the varietal to speak.
Consulting winemaker David Ramey, a fan of the noble grape, thought of the fine Alsatian bottles when Brassfield began producing Gewurztraminer. Moulton believes they hit the mark, particularly with the 2014 vintage.
“I say that his is truly Alsatian,” he observed. “It’s dry — we don’t leave residual sugars. You have a lot of retention of aromatics.”
Moulton indeed expects this wine to silence those discouraged by the varietal and its checkered past. It’s a wine he is certain will draw Gewurztraminer critics back to the grape, closing the divide. For the wine world, it is an example of what California can do with a noble yet maligned name.
“I’m trying to get it into as many competitions as possible,” he said.
Brassfield’s 2014 Gewurztraminer is a gorgeous wine. It should bring home plenty of precious metal.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
