2018 Estate Vineyard Gewürztraminer - Handley Cellars

Peach in syrup, blooming gardenias, lemon drop. Fresh papaya, candied ginger, ripe mango. Canned lychee, puréed guava, and sweet pear erupt in a wildly aromatic fruit cocktail bursting with intensely tropical and peachy succulence. Honeysuckle, plumeria, and water lily continue the ferociously fragrant blitzkrieg with an ambrosial bombardment of sweet and sappy florals. Behind the unctuous initial attack an underbelly of crushed rocks and spicy herbs provides lean and layered depth before clean salty minerality guides the parade home. Juicy, crisp, and tremendously fun; just barely off-dry and packed with wonderful concentration without feeling weighty. Medium in both body and acidity. This 2018 Estate Vineyard Gewürztraminer by Handley Cellars is an outgoing and delicious white from the Anderson Valley.

Mendocino County's Anderson Valley is one of the epicenters of aromatic white wine production in the USA and perhaps no grape is better known for its incredible fragrance than Gewürztraminer. This bottling, crafted by Handley Cellars using Gewürztraminer sourced from their estate vineyard west of Philo, beautifully showcases this variety and region at their most expressive. From the second it hits the glass the pronounced intensity of this wine is immediately apparent as it practically oozes ripe tropical and stone fruits along with lifted herbal spice and a bouquet of beautifully lush flowers. Succulence continues onto the palate and is met with a touch of earthiness and minerality that add pleasant tension and dimension. This is an extremely delicious offering that is well made and enjoyable yet thoroughly unpretentious.