TN '97 Late Harvest U.S. Gewurtz

[Karena Shannon]

’97 Husch Gewürztraminer “Late Harvest-Anderson Valley”: The two best examples of this U.S. dessert variety are from Navarro and Husch. They are luscious dessert wines that have the virtue of not tasting like Bonny Doon’s Vin du Glaciere. I mean, it gets monotonous, the hammerlock that wine has on the $15 and under white dessert wine market. To paraphrase P.J. O’Rourke, it reads like ten consecutive years of Playboy Jazz Polls, “Lionel Hampton on vibes, Lionel Hampton on vibes, Lionel Hampton…”

I prefer this to Navarro’s effort, noting its flavors of honey, white pepper, lemon, and smoke, oddly enough. They’re both kinda’ cloying, if you want to be a stickler about it. But all in all they’re both very good examples of the type. I’m posting on the Husch because that’s the one I ended up buying. I found the flavors to be a little more complicated and intense than those of the Navarro.

[Bucko]

I too find US efforts cloying. I pretty much stick with Alsatian efforts these days. Husch is one of the best in the US for sure.

Bucko

[Woodman]

I suggest youse try the Andrew Rich gewurztraminer ice wine. Andrew is a small, quality-oriented winemaker in Portland who used to be involved with the Vin du Glaciere program at Bonny Doon. He made this the old-fashioned way by freezing the grapes (sound familiar?).

I didn't find it cloying in the least. Check with Roberta, who had it at my house in November, for her opinion. Still pretty widely available since these things don't move real fast. It's not like LH gewurz is Harlan or Colgin or Screeching Beagle.

[This message has been edited by Woodman (edited 01-12-99).]

[Jason]

Deloach LH Gewurzt is great, very complex.