Cave de Turkenheim – Brand Grand Cru Gewurztraminer 2020 Wine Review

TLDR

A smooth and syrupy medium-sweet Gewurzt’ with rich notes of lychee, candied lemon and rosewater. This is not an everyday drinker, but it is a stunningly complex treat to enjoy with Pad Thai, spicy curry or a strawberry tart.

Appearance

Golden yellow in colour, reminiscent of freshly harvested wheat. It has a characteristically syrupy body and clings to the glass when swirled.

Aroma

The nose is where this wine really begins to show off. It is incredibly intense with every sniff delivering something new to savour.

·       Rose petal and Turkish delight

·       Lychee juice

·       Fresh Apricot

·       Baking spices like cinnamon

·       A touch of lemon zest

Each aroma unravels slowly, so I highly encourage you to continue sniffing between sips. This wine is a great reminder that aromas are a major aspect to how we taste.

Actually, on saying the above, I am reminded that I need to write a blog post about the lost art of smelling.

Palate

Simply put, this wine tastes stunning. This isn’t a dry wine. The technical term is ‘off-dry,’ but I’d say its sweetness is certainly notable. There is a high level of complexity in this wine so it takes time to really find every flavour, but I doubt that anyone would complain about having to take several sips to do this… or several glasses.

·       Fresh Lychee

·       Candied lemon peel

·       Spiced mead

·       Turkish Delight

·       Pineapple

·       Baking spices

Theres a lot to love, but I understand the trepidation when I use the word ‘sweet’ when describing a wine. However, that mix of lemon peel and pineapple bring a sophisticated balance of acidity that ensures the sweetness is far more refined than a cheap zinfandel blush.

Food Pairing

The fine balance and complex flavours of this Gewurztraminer means that when it comes to food pairing there are a lot of great options.

·       The sweetness from residual sugar and juicy fresh fruit flavours are a brilliant counter to spicy foods. Chicken Jalfrezi, Thai Red Curry (and Pad Thai noodles) are good choices.

·       We can also pair similar fruity and sweet flavours and look at something like a strawberry tart with a dollop of vanilla custard.

·       When it comes to cheese we can use this wine’s intense aroma to stand up to pungent blues like stilton or Roquefort or aged Munster.

·       Finally, I have a feeling that given a few years this wine might develop a slight nuttiness, so maybe at that point a pecan pie would be called for.

Wine Smeller Thoughts

I think it’s clear that I love a good Gewurztraminer… even if I struggle to pronounce it! This Turkenheim is fantastic. I came across it at Malpas Stallard in Worcester. I was assured by the chap there that this was a wonderful example of the grape, and I certainly can’t fault him. I was astonished by the first sip and in love by the second, its intense flavours and finessed balance ensure a memorable experience, and one to return to again.