Seifried Estate, Gewürztraminer 2012, New Zealand
Gewürztraminer is not a grape variety that I highlight as Wine of the Week very often. Personally, when Gewurz is good, I find it ravishing stuff, but its heady, powerfully perfumed character really splits the jury into lovers and haters. Its home is in northern Europe, in Alsace in France and in Germany in particular, but New Zealand has a lot of Gewurz planted, especially in Marlborough and here in Nelson, just a little further north on the tip of New Zealand's South Island. Seifried is a family-run estate that rather specialises in these aromatic grape varieties, and this wine is gorgeous: the nose is not in that hyper-perfumed style of flowers, Turkish delight and Nivea cream; there's a touch of all that, but mostly it is about really ripe, beguiling, downy peach skins and nectarine fleshiness. In the mouth it is off-dry - maybe even medium-sweet. Do not buy this if you are looking for a bone-dry wine, but that sweetness is beautifully done, both tropical fruit sweetness and sugar, and a lovely glycerine richness, though an orange and grapefruit acidity pushes through and gives delightful balance in the finish. Wines like this make great food wines for the right dishes - watch the video for more information and specific food-matching options.
It's £10.50 from The Halifax Wine Company, but it is also stocked by many other independent wine merchants, a list of which is here.
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