Winetastic

The Pipers Brook Gewurztraiminer 2005 was our contribution to a wine dinner with friends, along with a platter of assorted cheeses. The theme for the first course was mostly Tasmanian, with the wine and most of the cheeses produced there.

The aromas were not as pronounced as I would expect from a Gewurztraminer, with apple, hints of tropical fruit and floral elements present. Tasting distinctly of green apple, the wine had sound and well balanced acidity and mineral elements, finishing very dry. The producer Kreglinger Wines have further tasting notes on their website.

Overall this is a quality wine which is overpriced. I would recommend the Delatite Gewurztraiminer instead, which is half the price and a better wine.

Score: 7/10
Price: $25
Closure: Screwcap
Would I buy this wine again?
No, the producers need to knock $10 off the price.

A quick check of the Knappstein Website and a search of google reveals that 2003 was the last year Knappstein produced a straight Gewürztraminer. The variety does not share the popularity of other white varietals such as riesling or chardonnay in Australia, in my mind this is a damn shame.

Pale golden yellow in the glass, the wine has a floral nose of honey suckle and rose, with hints of lemon. Crisp acidity & floral notes on the palate, followed by a very long finish of honey and lemon. There is an excellent balance between the hint of sweetness, and nice dry finish.

On a final note, the Knappstein Website is a travesty against useability. Browsing the reviews of their wines requires the use of an incredibly slow javascript scroll system and popups. Furthermore, they do not maintain tasting notes or details for their Gewürztraminer, presumably because it is no longer in production. It is still available in stores however, dissappointing. Knappstein would be advised to contact a decent web developer to ensure a sound user experience on the web to match their fantastic wines.

Score: 8/10
Would I buy this wine again?
$18 a bottle, Hell yes.

This was my first experience with a straight Gewürztraminer, relatively few are available on the market and you are far more likely to find a Traminer/Riesling blend at your local bottle shop. If the Delatite Dead Man’s Hill is anything to go by, I will certainly be seeking out this varitey further.

No detailed tasting notes to be had, since the bottle was shared with friends at a thai restaurant, however the nose was certainly floral and the palate had a nice balance of a little fruit up front and floral tastes on the finish. Nice acidity kept the subtle sweetness in balance through to a dry finish, excellent with spicy thai. For more detailed tasting notes, try the Delatite website.

If you are looking for something a little different from the usual suspects of Chardonnay or Riesling, this would be a great place to start.

Score: No score today, the wine was simply enjoyed with no analysis.
Would I buy this wine again?
Definitely. The cellar door price is $20, however Dan Murphy’s has it available for $15, which seems like great value to me.