Jason’s Wine Blog

Price: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Plume Ridge Wine Negotiants

What They Said:

Per Hawks Head Wines “The Laugel family have been producing wine here since 1889 when Alsace was part of Germany. With classic rose petal and lychee aromas this elegant white has good varietal character and lovely complexity. Grapefruit and citrus notes keep it refreshing and the finish is long and balanced with good integrated acidity. This is a lovely example of this Alsace speciality, drinking well now but will keep to 2009. (Drink now to 2011)”

What I Think:

Another Gewurztraminer from the Alsace. As you can see from my write up on the Marcel Hugg. This was even before my recent return visit to Fleur de Lys where I had the Trimbach once again. Amazingly enough, they have this same Trimbach at Trader Joe’s. If you feel like dropping a $20 spot on that one stop reading here.

Now back to this wine. Hard to find a write up here, awfully common for wines for Trader Joe’s wines I find. I was able to track down something from a UK retailer selling this at £8 (about $16) which makes this one at $7 seem quite the steal already. On the nose you get light floral and citrus notes. On the palate the profile is almost custard like and at first I thought it was sweet. Later I realized it was more from a texture perspective than on the palate. The fruit, mostly lemon, faded quickly and led to a nice tight mineral finish. We had this as an aperitif before dinner with cheese and it worked perfectly. Not as good as the Marcel Hugg but good enough to buy until I find something better.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Americal Beverage Group

What They Said:

Per the winery …well their website has yet to be updated with any details and google wasn’t showing me anything new, so it appears you still have to trust me on this one…

What I Think:

I have been enjoying these wines from Marcel Hugg over the last month or two. As I mentioned sometime back all things Alsace bring back fond memories and these wines have done nothing to alter that notion.

As usual I started this one off a bit over chilled. Even still it had the perfect Gewurzt nose with aromas of flowers, minerals and white fruit all commingling to form a pleasant bouquet. When cooled to room temperature, perfect smells of citrus rinds on the nose. A hearty texture coats the mouth. Floral flavors but can’t get more specific, at times I find myself thinking of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Having the Kono handy I do a comparison and those thoughts quickly disappear. Finishes with a touch of sweetness on the mid-palate before rounding into a nice, rich dry finish that seems familiar, nice… Not quite as minerally as I remember it but certainly a perfect match for the spice of the Thai meal that it was paired with.

If you only have budget for one get the Pinot Blanc. Better yet, skip lunch today and get both. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: Buy It

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Americal Beverage Group

What They Said:

Per the winery Found their site but nothing about this or the gewurzt there. Since I couldn’t find anyone to speak on the experts behalf you’ll have to trust me :)

What I Think:

This is a repeat buy for me as I had another bottle of this Pinot Blanc a few weeks back. I don’t have much to add to that initial review except that this one did not disappoint. It was everything I remembered it to be. This wine would be great on its own, with some cheese or seafood or even some Asian cuisine. One thing to always remember with white is not to drink it too cold, it may taste okay but it won’t be able to fully express itself. I have one friend who goes to the opposite extreme and his whites at room temperature. I know that doesn’t work for me so my general plan is to try and put it in the fridge for a half hour and then take it out 5-10 minutes before planning to drink it. No need to take my advice; check out this site for some tips of your own. Back to the wine, I have upped this one to a Bulk Buy. Here’s to enjoying it while it lasts!

Rating: Bulk Buy

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by Americal Beverage Group

What They Said:

Per the winery well nothing, but I did find their website. Think it may be new as I didn’t find this last time.

What I Think:

The second half of my Alsatian bargain pair and another winner. Flowers (I am terrible at identifying which ones) and some light fruit on the nose. In the mouth a nice dry style with a minerally backbone. A very nice wine and a perfect example of an Alsatian effort. Usually I try to pair this with Asian cuisine but this would go with nearly anything. This is a region I need to learn more about. Would love to do a side by side with this and the Santa Ynez I enjoyed so much. Maybe I will…

Rating: Buy it

Price: $7.99 @ Trader Joe’s imported by American Beverage Group

What They Said:

Couldn’t find anyone to speak on the experts behalf so you’ll have to trust me…

What I Think:

An Alsatian wine at a bargain price, count me in for trying every time. Again, think this is three posts in a row, nostalgia reigns. My first birthday with my wife she took me to Fleur de Lys, Hubert Keller’s restaurant. He hails from this region and tailors some of the cuisine to pair with the wines. Ever since the Alsace makes me think of good things. This is a wine that did not disappoint that conceived notion. It had that nice soft, round fruit on top of that zippy mineral backbone that I have come to remember wines from this region for. This one will certainly be back in my cart. When I picked up this one I grabbed its sibling Gewurzt. Can’t wait to get to that one. Hope they don’t sell out before I get back…

Rating: Buy it