Winemaker Notes
A kaleidoscope of aromas: rose petals, spicy blossoms of lilies, ylang-ylang, gardenia; ripe exotic yellow fruits such as cantaloupe, mango, passion fruit, lychee, citrus zest; spicy notes of dried herbs, ginger, saffron, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. Rich in body and essences, but with fine juiciness and salty minerality increasing with age, a nearly endless finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This perfumed, oily white has aromas of roses, lilies, melon, lychees and honey. Rich and delicious, with a full body and concentrated floral, honey and tropical fruit flavors. Drink now or hold.
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Vinous
The 2023 Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer opens with a refined blend of tropical green melon, kiwi, split pine and exotic spice. It is silken in feel with cooling acidity and a minty herbal freshness, as citrus-infused pit fruits swirl beneath an air of sweet inner florals. Long and lively, it finishes with a gentle inner tension and a resonance of candied lime.
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Wine Spectator
Classic lychee, spice and rose petal aromas are an enticing entry for this fresh and focused white. Well-cut acidity defines a generous range of baked pineapple, melon, tangerine and grapefruit peel, beeswax, and stone notes that linger on the zesty finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2023 Alto Adige Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer shows heightened fragrances with plumeria, tangerine skin, cardamon and star anise. The goal of the wine is to bring out "maximum aromatic spiciness," and you can safely say that this is achieved, especially in a warm and naturally generous vintage such as 2023. Fruit is selected from 12 hectares of vines on the hills directly behind the winery, and the wine sees simple winemaking, with 10 months in stainless steel followed by a few months in bottle. This edition offers a waxy texture and more heaviness.
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.
A mountainous northern Italian region heavily influenced by German culture, Trentino-Alto Adige is actually made up of two separate but similar regions: Alto Adige and Trentino.
Trentino, the southern half, is primarily Italian-speaking and largely responsible for the production of non-native, international grapes. There is a significant quantity of Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Merlot produced. But Trentino's native and most unique red variety, Teroldego, while still rare, is gaining popularity. It produces a deeply colored red wine rich in wild blackberry, herb, coffee and cocoa.
The rugged terrain of German-speaking Alto Adige (also referred to as Südtirol) focuses on small-scale viticulture, with great value placed on local varieties—though international varieties have been widely planted since the 1800s. Sheltered by the Alps from harsh northerly winds, many of the best vineyards are at extreme altitude but on steep slopes to increase sunlight exposure.
Dominant red varieties include the bold, herbaceous Lagrein and delicate, strawberry-kissed, Schiava, in addition to some Pinot Nero.
The primary white grapes are Pinot grigio, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot blanc, as well as smaller plantings of Sauvignon blanc, Müller Thurgau. These tend to be bright and refreshing with crisp acidity and just the right amount of texture. Some of the highest quality Pinot grigio in Italy is made here.