Reviews & Ratings

2011 Navarro Vineyards Gewurztraminer "Cuvee Traditional Dry"

Winery: Navarro Vineyards

Vintage: 2011

Wine Name/Vineyard: "Cuvee Traditional Dry"

Wine Category: Gewurztraminer

Grape blend: 100% Gewurztraminer

Bottle size: 750 ml

Region: Anderson Valley

State or country: CA

Price: $15

Cases produced: 559

KWG Score: 92 (based on 1 review)

Ken's Wine Rating: Very Good+ (92)

Review date: December 5, 2012

Wine Review: This pale yellow colored Gewurztraminer from Navarro is one of the best Gewurtz's that I have covered in a while. It opens with a fragrant lychee bouquet with hints of peach. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic, and zesty. The flavor profile is a very tasty mineral infused lychee with hints of tangerine and peach. It closes dry but its ripe fruit and lingering acidity make it feel close to semi-dry. As a result, it lasts for quite some time after the wines is gone. It was perfect with my sisters Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy - Ken

Winemaker Notes: Perhaps it's silly to specialize in a grape variety that a good percentage of the public has trouble pronouncing. Every vintage, we ferment various Gewurztraminer vineyard sites in separate ovals so that we have a wide range of flavors and aromas from which to assemble Navarro's Estate Bottled cuvee. The excess production typically has been sold in bulk. In 2011, we used less than half the wine for our more expensive bottling, leaving gobs of good Gewurztraminer. We figured our fans would enjoy an everyday version of Navarro's spicy, benchmark varietal. The Cuvee Traditional bottling is a blend of two pretty lots produced from the Peach and Ridge blocks. A tad sweeter and less complex than its more expensive cousin, it beats most wines in this price range. Throw a sausage and potato in the oven and open a bottle for an easy work-night supper.

Buy it: Use 1000 Corks to find stores that sell Navarro 2011 Cuvee Traditional Dry Gewurztraminer.