Peninsula Cellars 2005 Gewurztraminer

Vineyards Notes:
2005 was a very warm, long growing season. The Gewurz vines ripened slowly in the excess heat providing a decadent array of aroma and flavor. By late October the days had cooled and the sugars began to climb. The grapes were destemmed and crushed into 1 ton bins and marinated for 24-36 hours on the skins. This releases all the spice for which Gewurz is named.

Winemaking Notes:
The juice was settled for 4 days at 32 degrees to remove any solids left from pressing. The clean juice fermented at a moderately warm temperature in closed stainless steel fermentors. We aged the wine for another 4 weeks on the yeast before moving it. After four months of aging on the light lies we filtered and bottled the wine. Because of the low acidity and risks of oxidation, we kept this wine very still.

Tasting Notes:
Crush up some anise seeds onto rose petals and toss it in a glass that held sweet grapefruit juice and you have the basic aroma profile of this wine. The palate has a slippery glycerol sense that finishes clean and spicy. The wine is dry but the alcohol, low acidity, and flavor give the impression of sweetness.

Food Pairings:
Gewurz is as diverse as its descriptors. It is always referenced to couple Asian food these days. Coconut milk, pad thai and light curry work very well. But I also like this gewurz with European classics like foi gras, potatoes au gratin, and a slow roasted chicken dusted with nutmeg, anise, and salt.

Technical Notes:

Varietal:	100% Gewurztraminer
Vineyards:	Leonard Ligon Kroupa
Appellation:	Old Mission Peninsula
Harvest Dates:	October 20
Brix at harvest:	22
Aging:	100 % Stainless Steel
Bottling date:	Apri l 14, 2006
Alcohol:	13%
Titratable Acid:	4.6g/L
Residual Sugar:	0%
pH:	3.81
Cases Produced:	725