gundlach-bundschu

[Randy Caparoso]

Oh man, foodie and you other guys... lychee is nothing, I mean NOTHING like cat litter. I mean, you guys can't even spell it correctly (it's lychee first, litchi second, and lichee only in a pinch).

I'll be the first to admit that the fragrance and flavor of lychee -- which grows in great abundance here in the islands -- is difficult to describe. How do you describe an orange (or rock n' roll) to a stranger? But you should know that the aroma is quite similar to fresh, eating Muscat grapes (and relatedly, Gewurztraminer is often described as Muscaty), mixed in with fragrance of the sweetest rose, rose petals, apples and a vague walnuttiness. Although it comes in a soft, taut, pinkish-brown shell, the fruit within has the juiciness and membranous consistency of an oversized eating grape (although it is considerably sweeter than a grape).

And make no mistake about it: optimally rich Gewurztraminer is a dead ringer for a lush, freshly picked lychee fruit -- especially some of the better medium-sweet examples like Storrs in Santa Cruz (which gets its fruit from a Monterey vineyard planted with a superior clonal selection).

Opinion time: I don't completely disagree with a "cat litter" prognostication if you're only experience is with underripe, fair to middling Gewurztraminer. Gundlach-Bundschu, to me, has always fallen within that category. I've had a couple vintages over the years of Gewurzs from that winery with quite green, herbal, almost Drano-like aromas. I just don't think they've gotten the best fruit (although I'm sure the winery would disagree). Although Mendocino wineries are hit and miss, some of the better ones (like Handley, Navarro, and Joseph Phelps' bottlings) achieve some degree of that lush, lychee-like (i.e. Muscat/leafy/rose-appley
fragrances and flavors) quality, although they have a tendency to press a little hard (resulting in bitter edges). You also get a good amount of that, of course, in Alsace -- although they tend to veer more towards floral and rose apple like than lychee-like.

One final recommendation: I think the best of the most widely available Gewuztraminers on the market today is the Louis Martini "Heritage Collection." It's off-dry (about 1% residual sugar), and a real winner with Chinese dim sum or Thai spring rolls with sweet/spicy syrup sauces.