(Re-Tasted April 2010) ... I have heard it said by many people, "Gewurztraminer does not age," and yet when I inventory wine cellars I find bottles of German, Alsatian or Austrian Gewurzt, some as old as ten years, and their owners swear they are better now than the day they bought them. I my mind this could only mean one thing, I had to put this theory to the test: find out definitively whether Gewurztraminer will age or not. Now, one bottle does not a test make, but you have to start somewhere.
My first comment / observation, upon removing the capsule on this bottle was one of dismay, under the skirt was a plastic cork. That just signals to me that the winery never expected anyone to age their wine. Plastic cork is just the worst closure for aging, period; I think I would prefer a gasoline soaked rag to a plastic cork - but that's just one man' opinion. So, was the wine affected by this nasty abomination? My answer is an unequivocal, I don't know - I need to do more testing on aged Gewurztraminer, but I can almost guarantee that it didn't help. The initial smell was melon (cantaloupe) and apple with some floral and sweet over-ripe banana (or even banana chip) aromas; flavours followed pretty much along the lines of what the nose suggested, more apple than melon, more banana than floral, but all components were there. What I can tell you is that there was a definitive lack of acidity. It was a drinkable for sure, but the sweetness was more present then the acidity, which made it a little tough to swallow in any great quantity - good thing I had people to share the bottle with.
