Navarro Vineyards - 2009 Gewürztraminer

2009 Gewürztraminer
Late Harvest (Sweet)
Anderson Valley, Mendocino
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- (375 ml) Sold Out!

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Hummer

We left two fields for Late Harvest Gewürztraminer in 2009. The weather had been dry, the grapes were fully ripe and we began to panic because no botrytis was developing. Then a week of rain and cold weather began October 12 and by the 18th, panic was replaced by excitement. The late rains had knocked off all the autumn leaves so the fruit was fully exposed and easy to see. We began harvest on Oct. 19, selecting clusters infected with the mold botrytis but when the sun reemerged, we noticed some Aspergillus niger. We upped the harvest tempo, keeping each days picking separate. Only the first day's juice, free of Aspergillus, was selected for this bottling, a mere 25% of the grapes we had harvested. The remaining 75% was sold off in bulk. Luscious mango and papaya flavors with a drizzle of honey, guaranteed to make you hum with pleasure. Gold Medal winner.

At the end of the growing season, voracious hummingbirds and mold both proliferate. Botrytis and Aspergillus niger are two molds commonly found on wine grapes at the end of the season. Botrytis dominates other molds when the humidity is high and the temperatures are cool. It causes the berry to shrivel, intensifying flavors while adding delicious honey-apricot notes; hence it is also referred to as the noble rot. But when the weather is sunny and the humidity drops, Aspergillus quickly spreads on clusters exposed to the sun, adding bitterness which we don't consider noble

Specifications

Harvested: Oct. 19, 2009
Sugars at harvest: 28.5° Brix
Bottled: May 13, 2010
Cases produced: 647
Alcohol: 11.1 %
Residual sugars: 8.1 %
Titratable acidity: 8.6 g/L
pH: 3.00

2013 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer

Save this wine for the pies at the end of the meal or to pair with “stinky cheeses” and dried fruit.Duane Pemberton,, Communities Digital News, November 26, 2014.

2009 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer

Navarro makes a host of decadent dessert wines but their end of the Anderson Valley is so noted for its gewürztraminer that a late harvest version is hard to pass up, given its bounty of tropical mango and honey flavors. - Virginie Boone, Press Democrat, November 7, 2011.

This almost clear colored wine has just a bit of yellow coloring. It opens with a very mild lychee bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, and not as sweet as you would think for a late harvest wine. Its flavor profile is lychee with notes of cinnamon and clove. It was well received. The finish is remains semi-sweet and pleasant. This wine would pair well with a lemon meringue pie. Enjoy- Ken Hoggins, KensWineGuide.com,,November 5, 2010.

2006 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer

-Enormously sweet, almost like drinking honey, except that it's wine. With an amazing 21% residual sugar, it just knocks you out with sweetness, but then the rich flavors of apricot jam and vanilla wafer lack in, brightened and balanced with lively acidity. The end result is fabulous- Steve Heimoff, Wine Enthusiast,,October, 2008.

Luscious and honeyed, with floral, ripe peach and spice aromas followed by sweet--but not cloying--dried pineapple, cinnamon and toasty vanilla cream flavors - Tim Fish, Wine Spectator, May 31, 2008.

2000 Vineyard Select Late Harvest Gewürztraminer

It’s hard to believe, but Navarro used to throw away grapes when botrytis infected them. This wine has only 11.4 percent alcohol and residual sugar of 12.6 percent. The acidity is as high as you’ll find in California, a stunning 9.0 grams per liter. If numbers don’t do it for you, consider that this wine is dense, sweet, apricot-y, oily-thick and utterly, lip-smackingly delicious. - Wine Enthusiast, May 2002.

Intense spiced-honey aromas with sweet, low-medium balanced acidity and intense honeyed spicy lychee fruit and a very long length. Perfection of sweet wine. - Gareth Lawrence, Wine & Spirit Education Trust, London, England.

This rich, dense gewürz offers a mouthful of sweet roses. The sugar blunts it, but the flavor will emerge with mascarpone desserts or a mild goat cheese. - Wine & Spirits Magazine, February, 2002.

1999 Vineyard Select Late Harvest Gewürztraminer

A remarkable wine, with astounding spice components from the grape, along with fresh pear and apple, but hints of clover blossom and honey from botrytis, and a succulent and yet crisp finish. Its 14% residual sugar is balanced by excellent acidity. A double-gold medal at the Mendocino judging, meaning all five judges awarded the wine a gold medal. - Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences, August 24, 2000.

Navarro consistently grows some of the best gewürz in California, holding the essential freshness of the grape even in this late harvest style. For all its floral, hot-house rose aroma, its spice and sweet figgy fruit, there's a soft acidity to lighten its touch. For all its voluptuous texture, its finish of honey and smoke, there's a prickle and a liveliness that keeps the impression refined. Pour a glass with sheep's milk cheese at the end of a meal. - Wine and Spirits, 100 Best Wines of 2001.

Best Gewürztraminer of California, 2000 California State Fair. This is what dessert wines should be-possessing great varietal character, botrytis, a luscious sweetness, and a perfectly balanced acidity. - Phil Baily, Los Angeles County Fair, 2000.

A dessert wine with a sweet honeyed nose and loads of sweet spices on the palate; very sweet apricot and peach fruit, with decent acid on the finish. - , Epicurean Magazine, November, 2000.

A bouquet of apricot, honey, and soft spice before a very rich, smooth, viscous, and very sweet palate of mostly honeyed apricot and a short to medium finish. - Colorado Wine News, January/March 2001.

Exceptional. Intense lychee nut varietal character along with fresh Gravenstein apple and fresh pears. Remarkable well-balanced, despite 14% sugar. Phenomenal wine. - Dan Berger's Vintage Experiences, August 17, 2000.