Nussbaumer Now – Nussbaumer Forever!

 

In one of my recent posts about Alto Adige, I mentioned how much I loved the Cantina Tramin Gewürztraminer “Nussbaumer” 2012. For anyone that has been reading my prose on Italian wines for the past several years knows, this hardly comes as a surprise. I’ve admired this wine for years and believe it to be one of Italy’s greatest wines – white or red.

The Nussbaumer is made from a few select vineyards above the town of Tramin; planted to both the traditional pergola system as well as the modern Guyot system, the oldest of these vineyards are more than ninety years of age. The grapes are of amazing quality, but it’s quite fitting that this great wine originates from Tramin, as the grape itself is named for the town, its birthplace. The word gewürz in German means “spicy” and of course, traminer is the word used to describe something or someone from Tramin; hence Gewürztraminer is the “spicy wine (or grape) from Tramin.”

As with the best examples of this wine, the aromas are memorable, with notes of lychee, grapefruit and yellow roses. But what makes the Cantina Tramin “Nussbaumer” so special is its texture – the mid-palate is rich and multi-layered. There is always excellent persistence, as the finish is quite long; acidity is lively and there is distinct spice. In other words, this is a textbook Gewürztraminer.

 

 Ripe Gewürztraminer grapes used by Cantina Tramin (Photo© Tom Hyland)

 

The recently released 2012 is a terrific example of this wine, as was the 2010, 2009 and 2008. I have reviewed numerous vintages of this wine over the years and my estimate on aging potential would generally be three to five years or perhaps as long as seven years for the finest examples. That to me is typical of an excellent white from Alto Adige, as fruit concentration and structure (thanks to excellent acidity) come together to yield a wine that drinks well at five to seven years of age.

 

Well, you’re always learning things in this game, so what a thrill it was for me when I visited Cantina Tramin last October and winemaker Willi Stürz poured several older bottlings of this famous wine. This wine can age several years beyond my best estimates, as you will read in these tasting notes from that day:

 

2012 – Bright/deep yellow with golden tints; heavenly aromas of lychee, grapefruit, yellow roses, honeysuckle, Anjou pear and lilacs. Medium-full with excellent concentration. Rich mid-palate, beautiful complexity. Great persistence and beautiful typicity. Classic wine! Best in 5-7 years.

2009 – Deep golden yellow; aromas of pineapple, mango and magnolia. Rich mid-palate, excellent persistence and fresness. Very good acidity and impressive balance. Best in 3-5 years.

2006 – Bright golden yellow; aromas of honey, lychee and yellow peach. Medium-full, this is quite powerful with excellent complexity and very good acidity and persistence. Best in 2-3 years.

2005 – Light golden yellow; aromas of dried pear and saffron. Medium-full, this is quite elegant with a lovely note of minerality in the finish along with a distinct note of yellow spices. Long finish, very good acidity. Best in 5-7 years. Outstanding

2000 – Light yellow; aromas of dried pear, elder flowers and a hint of banana. Medium-full with very good concentration. Very good complexity and balance. Nearing peak, but still with 2-3 years of drinking pleasure ahead.

 

 

Note that the 2000, a 14 year-old wine when tasted that day, was still in good shape, while the 2005, a nine-year-old wine at the time, should be drinking well for another 5-7 years, meaning the Nussbaumer in the best vintages can age for 12-15 years.

Few people talk about the aging potential of Gewürztraminer, but certainly this tasting was an eye-opener. Of course, it’s rare to find older bottlings of Alto Adige Gewürztraminer at all, but if you do locate older examples of the Cantina Tramin Nussbaumer, give them a try! A great wine, sourced from great vineyards, made by a great winemaker. Bravo, Willi!

 

Winemaker Willi Stürz (Photo ©Tom Hyland)