Gewürztraminer Sonnenglanz Grand Cru 2018

Wine Description for Gewürztraminer Sonnenglanz Grand Cru 2018 by Trapet Alsace

Colour & Appearance

Luminous golden yellow with brilliant reflections – strikingly clear in the glass, a first hint at the precise signature of this wine.

Nose

The Sonnenglanz pulls out all the stops of Gewürztraminer – and yet does so with remarkable understatement. White peach and linden blossom open delicately the overture, before orange zest and green mandarin enrich the picture. Pink rose petals and a trace of beeswax join in – everything grounded by a profound foundation of wet limestone. Complex, but never intrusive.

Palate

Impressively taut and precise. A creamy texture carries citric aromas on a mineral-saline foundation. The residual sweetness – perceptible, but measured – integrates seamlessly into the compact structure, without ever dominating. Not a gram of excess: this Gewürztraminer impresses through discipline and polish.

Finish

Long, clear and carried by fine minerality. The sweetness fades elegantly, the aftertaste of citrus peel and limestone lingers. A wine that will reward cellaring – already a pleasure now, potentially even greater in five to ten years.

Terroir & Origin

The vineyard site Sonnenglanz lies north of Beblenheim in south-easterly exposure at 220–270 metres above sea level. The heavy limestone soil from tertiary border conglomerate and eo-oligocene marls gives the wine its characteristic minerality and structure – a terroir that shapes Gewürztraminer with rare seriousness.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Pure Gewürztraminer, vinified according to biodynamic principles (certified since 1997). In the cellar, Trapet consistently forgoes fining and filtration – the wine speaks unfiltered and unadorned of the place of its origin. Alcohol: 13.5% vol.

Food Pairing Recommendations

Ideal with pike dumplings with spring turnips and beurre blanc – the minerality of the wine plays wonderfully with the elegance of the dish. Equally convincing with duck with pineapple sauerkraut and blood sausage ravioli, where the residual sweetness masterfully balances the spice. To start: tomato, mango, mozzarella and basil.

Special Features

Trapet Alsace is the Alsatian chapter of one of France’s most renowned biodynamic addresses. That a Burgundy house treats this Gewürztraminer with the same intellectual rigour as its Gevrey-Chambertin Grands Crus is audible – and palatable. A Gewürztraminer for sceptics of the grape variety.