Winemaker Notes
The Red Newt Cellars ‘Cream Label’ Gewurztraminer is internally referred to as “the every night Gewurztraminer.” As beautiful as the single vineyard Gewurztraminers we bottle are, they are opulent wines with a very loud personality. The Cream Label version is made and blended in such a way that it is lighter, more refreshing, and with more fruit aromas as compared to rose perfume. A friendlier Gewurztraminer.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Gewürztraminer, the cream label, was sourced from Curry Creek vineyard on Seneca Lake. It comes in with five grams of sugar, 6.45 grams of total acidity and 13.5% alcohol. I'm always bemused by the winery calling this their everyday Gewürz. It's so fine. With enough balancing sugar to cut the bitterness common to the grape, but not enough to become sweet, this seems classic in flavors and aromatics. It is also precise and beautifully constructed. Of course, you do have to like Gewürz, one of those high-personality grapes people love or hate. This is a very nice example, though, at a nice price. Of the non-Rieslings, it was my personal favorite. The only remaining question is whether it can hold well for a few years. Under screw cap, it should age pretty well, but it is certainly worth leaning up a little on it today. It drinks nicely now too. There were 228 cases produced. Best after 2022.
Gewürztraminer, an expressive and aromatically distinctive white grape variety, is considered a noble variety in the Alsace region of France, and produces wonderful wines in the mountainous Alto Adige region of NE Italy. Generally this grape grows well in cooler regions and its natural intensity makes it a great ally for flavorful cuisine such as Indian, Middle Eastern or Moroccan. Somm Secret—Because of a charming perfume and tendency towards slight sweetness, Gewürztraminer makes for an excellent gateway wine for those who love sweet wines but want to venture into the realm of drier whites.
As the most historic wine-producing region in New York state, winemaking in the Finger Lakes area dates back to the 1820s and today as a region, accounts for 90% of the state’s total wine production.
Its narrow and deep lakes created by the movement of Ice Age glaciers create an environment similar to the classic Riesling-loving regions of Europe, namely Germany and Austria. The Finger Lakes retain summer heat that incidentally warms up cold winter air, making it fall down from the lakes’ steep slopes. When spring comes, the lakes, already cooled by cold winter weather, stave off vine budding until the danger of frost has subsided. The main lakes of the zone, that is those big enough to moderate the climate in this way, are the focal points of prime vineyard areas. They include Canandaigua, Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga.
While Riesling has fueled most of the region’s success, today Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc enjoy some attention.