From the Cantina Produttori San Paolo in Alto Adige, this is Gewürztraminer in its most serious form: dry, full-bodied, and 14.5% strong. The grape's spiritual home is Tramin, the village in the Adige valley that gave it its name, and the cool alpine air above it keeps the variety's famous perfume in focus instead of letting it turn flabby.
- Gewürztraminer, the aromatic grape of Tramin.
- Alto Adige DOC, Italy's northernmost wine zone.
- 2022 vintage, a warm and generous year.
- Dry, full-bodied, medium acidity, low tannin.
- 750ml, 14.5% alcohol by volume.
How it is made
Gewürztraminer is a mutation of Savagnin, and the pink-tinged berries are picked late to build the grape's signature aromatics. In Alto Adige, the vineyards sit between the Alps and the Dolomites, where warm days and cold nights stretch the growing season. San Paolo is a co-operative, which in this part of Italy means small growers pooling fruit from steep hillside sites.
How it tastes
Lychee and rose petal lead, with ginger and citrus zest behind them and a stone fruit core. The palate is rich and full but finishes dry, with the grape's natural perfume held in check by the region's mountain freshness. There is a faintly tangy quality that keeps the whole thing from feeling heavy.
Where it comes from
Alto Adige is a mostly German-speaking province in northern Italy, and Gewürztraminer grows here at some of the highest altitudes the variety sees anywhere. The DOC rules require the wine to be made from the grape alone, which is why the name on the label is the grape and not a vineyard or a village.
Good to know
The name Gewürztraminer means "spiced Traminer," after the village of Tramin. The variety is notoriously difficult to ferment dry, and the fact that this one carries 14.5% alcohol while tasting dry is a technical achievement in itself.
