Two domestic Gewurztraminer wines

[wondersofwine]

1998 Lawrence J. Bargetto Gewurztraminer, Monterey County (winery at Soquel, CA)
12% alcohol
I liked this at a tasting (probably at Taste of Monterey) and ordered three bottles to be shipped. The first one I opened a couple years ago tasted bland and flat. I thought it might have been cooked in shipment since it took a really long time to arrive. However, it may have been an off bottle or in a closed phase. This second of the three was much improved.
Dark straw color with clarity. Fragrant and fruity with a faint touch of spice. Medium-long finish. Pleasant aftertaste. Nice accompaniment to pork chops or fried jumbo shrimp with lemon juice. I saved a little from the third evening to compare with a Washington State Gewurz.
2001 Columbia Crest Gewurztraminer
11.5% alcohol
Younger vintage than the Bargetto but a deeper gold color. Less acid. More than a suggestion of sweetness. The Bargetto seems to be truer to my idea of what Gewurz should be.