4 | Wine | Gewurztraminer, 91 to 95

"Yellow with a gold tinge. Very ripe yellow fruit aromas complicated by subtle gingery spices and flowers on the expressive nose. Complex and pure on the palate, with a tactile umami charater to the ginger and ripe peach flavors. Ripe acidity nicely frames the wine's dense, rich fruit. Very concentrated and long, finishing with a lightly tannic impression. Sweeter than the Calcaire bottling but a bit less intellectual than that wine."

"A remarkable pungency and brightness of rhubarb preserves, pink grapefruit marmalade, and glazed pineapple laced with lime and sage oil scent the Weinbach 2007 Gewurztraminer Mambourg Selection de Grains Nobles and generate an electrically charged, sweet and tart palate impression, with 128 grams of residual sugar cut down to mere sweetness by atypically high acids and implosive extract. Seldom will one encounter a Gewurztraminer with remotely this sort of vivacity, and tasted blind I would more likely have guessed this to be a Muscat or Scheurebe. The finish is amazingly penetrating, if a bit raw."

"Medium gold. Perfumed and ethereal yet somehow rather low-pitched on the nose, with aromas of flint and smoky minerality dominating. The palate offers outstanding breadth and solidity, with a strong mineral/acid spine enlivening the flavors of meat, spices and lichee. Broad, tactile, powerful gewurztraminer with a resounding finish."

"Straw-yellow. Bright aromas of smoked sausage, tropical fruit cocktail and cinnamon. Less massive than the Laurence but more elegant, offering flavors of honeyed apricot, cinnamon apple, smoky minerals and wet earth. Finishes smooth and long, with repeating notes of papaya and mango."

"Bright yellow-gold. Pink grapefruit, candied orange peel and smoked pork on the nose. Then rich and deep on the palate, with noteworthy lift and precision to the flavors of tropical fruits, minerals and flowers. Offers superb richness and depth, as well as enough acidity to give shape to the wine. Impressively balanced and very long."

"Mirabelle, marzipan and nutmeg on the expressive nose. Sweet, dense and highly concentrated, with real generosity and freshness to its fruit flavors. There's a spiciness here from botrytis. Finishes tactile and powerful." Reviewed by Stephen Tanzer.

"Bright yellow. Honeyed tropical fruit and spices aroma are followed on the palate by sweet (114 g/l residual sugar), very precise flavors of candied peach, mango and apricot. The wine's sound acidity (5.7 g/l) really extends the finish of this poised wine."