Tonight I opened a
Hugel et Fils Gewürztraminer "Hugel" 2005 (13%, 14,97€, 4,5g/l acidity, 7g/l sugar) and ate it with a salad with char grilled salmon and cherry tomatoes with just a little bit of balsamico (I wish the foods I make would look better):
The wine was much to my taste. I rarely like Gewurz because they seem a bit heavy, acid-deficient and unrefreshing, but on occasion I do come across one which pleases me. Trimbach regularily makes ones to my taste, but this Hugel was pretty nice also. The nose is floral, more grapefruit than lychee. The palate is full bodied (but on the elegant end of Gewurz's spectrum I suspect), but though it doesn't have much acidity it is refreshing enough and has some very attractive mineral notes. Moderately long aftertaste. Not cloying or heavy.
The slight smokiness of the salmon works well with the full body of the wine. Tomatoes rarely work with any wine, but I suppose Gewurz is assertive enough that here they didn't clash? It was a nice match and a nice wine that I will probably buy again several times. I do find it worrisome that Finnish pricing forces me to think of a 15€ wine as a "budget" wine. Number of under 20€ wines of genuine interest over this way: a dozen or so. Sad state of affairs.
-O-
I don't drink wine because of religious reasons ... only for other reasons.