Ostertag’s 2007 Gewurztraminer Vignoble d’E (“E” for “Epfig,”) smells of rose water, pork rinds, caraway, and celery seed. Decidedly sweet, it nevertheless delivers some sense of refreshment, and its smoky, porcine side is not subsumed under its load of residual sugar, while banana and a classic note of litchi are reinforced by it. I realize that Ostertag – who consistently cultivates sweetness in his Gewurztraminer – is convinced of the usefulness of such a wine with a variety of dishes, but I have never been able to share that view, despite attempts to convince myself. Fifty grams of residual sugar in a wine like this strikes me as more or less the equivalent of 100 grams in a high acid Riesling, and I wouldn’t try to match such a Riesling with anything other than cheese or dessert for its first 20 years. I haven’t tasted the 2006 version of this cuvee. Andre Ostertag was like most of his region’s best growers very selective about what he chose to bottle in 2006. He is especially enthusiastic about his uncompromisingly intense 2007s and the sense in which the Rieslings resemble a throwback to the moderate must weights and refreshing acidity that was common in Alsace before the string of warm vintages that has been nearly uninterrupted since 1988. I was surprised to find myself as impresses as I was with the 2007 Pinot Gris bottlings here, but Ostertag says it was simply unfair until very recently to compare his results with that grape to those with Riesling, because the vines of the former were too young. They’ve passed 20 years of age now, and that, he opines, is why they can start to show their real potential (and, I would add, stand up to Ostertag’s use of barriques). While I hate to take up space with this matter, readers should be aware that wines from this estate that formerly bore the village name “Epfig” will now merely be coded with the capital letter “E” because of certain limitations that the authorities have now imposed on the use of village designates and the definition of “village level” names. (Frankly, I wouldn’t even want to understand the regulation if I thought it would prove intelligible!)Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel. (510) 524-1524

Classic, intensely aromatic spice and lychee aromas. Medium sweet with a silky / viscous texture. Medium-high acid. Nicely balance, straight-forward Gewuztraminer. Long finish.