Varietal

Gewurztraminer

Appellation

France, Alsace

Style

Dry White

Price

£

7.99

Stockist

Waitrose & Majestic

WOW Rating

92

Date Reviewed

7/12/2008

The 2006 vintage is currently on offer in Majestic. Buy 2 bottles and save £2.

Le Cave de Turckheim succeeds again. Whenever I taste one of their wines it impresses me. About 10 years ago its director stunned me with an inky Pinot Noir which was the most full-bodied Alsace red I had then tasted. Now along comes this silky smooth, aromatic, off-dry Gewürztraminer which is a delightful change from the ubiquitous Chardonnay.

This Gewürztraminer comes from limestone and rose-coloured granite beds on the eastern slopes of the Vosges Mountains which overlook Europe's largest river – the Rhine. The vineyard soil supports a wine that offers a floral and almond bouquet with touches of dried citrus fruits. The complex palate is spicy, stony, full-bodied, unctuously smooth.

Food guide: Lovely to sip alone or drink with salmon baked in foil with a little white wine and dill or escalopes of veal in a creamy white wine sauce.

Review by Andrew Jones, Editor