Gan Eden 2000 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer Wine

The 2000 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer was produced entirely from Gewurztraminer grapes grown at Zabala Vineyards in Monterey County.

This wine carries a "Late Harvest" designation to indicate that the grapes were picked late in the season at 27° brix, as opposed to the more usual 21 to 24° brix at harvest. This extra degree of ripeness is evident in the richness of flavor and fullness of body of this wine, as well as the 9° brix residual sugar of the finished wine.

Our winemaker, Craig Winchell, fermented the grapes in stainless steel tanks at 45°F, using indigenous yeasts instead of pure cultures, to produce a wine of subtle complexity which exhibits the spicy character found in the Alsatian Gewurztraminers. This wine was just released, and has yet to enter any competitions, but the previous vintage, the 1997, won numerous medals, including several golds, and had won medals every year since it was released. We expect similar results from this wine. In fact, it won 11 medals in 2002, even though it missed all of the early competitions, having been released late. So far in 2003, it has won a Golds in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and the Tasters Guild International Wine Competition, and a Sweepstakes in the Monterey Wine Competition, with 9 medals so far this year, and we look forward to winning more medals this year.

GAN EDEN was established in the spring of 1985 in the Green Valley viticultural district of Sonoma County. Our first vintage of "Late Harvest" styled Gewurztraminer, our 1986 Naturally Sweet Gewurz., won six medals and wide critical acclaim. The 1992 Late Harvest Gewurz., which sold out in 4 months, took 8 medals while we still had it, including a "4 star gold" in Orange County. The 1993 took 9 medals, including several golds, and was awarded a star and "Best Buy" in Connoiseurs Guide. There was no "Late Harvest" made in 1994, 1995, 1998 or 1999. The 1996 won 16 medals, including a double gold and 3 golds. And the 1997 won so many medals that we were not able to keep track of them.

Winemaker's Comments

GAN EDEN's 2000 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer is a full flavored wine exhibiting grapefruit, pear and apricot character, and the spicy floral aromas characteristic of the Gewurztraminer grape. The 9% residual sugar is well balanced by acidity, so that the overall effect is refreshing, neither cloying nor tart. This wine has a pleasant, long finish. Our Late Harvest Gewurztraminer is superb served all by itself, or excellent with a wide variety of fruity desserts. I am particularly fond of this wine with pate at the commencement of the meal, or just with fruit at the meal's end.