A showstopper of a wine, somehow even better than the bottle I'd enjoyed at Jeff and Dena Morris' some years ago which wowed me. This stole the show in a lineup of great wines and was one of the most compelling and thrilling wines I've had in a few years. All the exotic and tropical fruit and florality I'd expect from Gewurz, rich honeyed and spicy botrytis notes, and that intensely smoky character I associate with Rangen wines that stands out even above the botrytis and immense fruit of this wine. Words fail to describe the depth, the length, the overall balance here. Definitely a wine that goes beyond anything I could have imagined or hoped for when I pulled the cork. My last/only bottle of this, but wow, this was something memorable.
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A crash course in Zind Humbrecht at Jeff and Dena's (Raleigh, NC): An astounding wine that's massively sweet and laden with botrytis, and still somehow manages to show the clear signature of both the grape and site. The Rangen peaty and smoky fragrance comes through in spades, and beneath all the peat and smoke are layers of ripe lychee, apricot marmalade, honey, and more flamboyant Gewurztraminer spice and florality. Like the '94 Goldert VT that preceded this, it's a high wire act of tremendous sweetness and acidity, and again the balance is impeccable with everything coming together very seamlessly on the palate, and remarkable length.
Dark amber in color. One of the most technically complex wines I've ever had as it mixes plenty of Rangen terroir with fruit, spice, sweetness and acidity. As balanced as an elephant successfully walking a tightrope. An amazing wine for the ages. 50+14+15+9.5+9.5=98
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Dinner at Steve & Barb's house with Bob. As usual this wine was an orangey-amber in color. The nose is very sweet with white flowers and peaches quite evident. On the palate which is quite delicate there is the addition of lychees and orange blossoms. All around a very perfumed wine. Interestingly it is showing more Gewurz than Rangen on this occasion. A focused wine that holds together a beautiful balance of all aspects. 50+14+14+9+9 = 96
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Dinner at Poole's Diner, Raleigh, NC with Craig & Melanie. Amber in the glass, this bottle had more Gewurz characteristics upfront than previous bottles, primarily in the form of flowers and fall baking spices. With time some Rangen peatiness is starting to show through as well. Clean and pure botrytis. Rides a tightrope between acid and sugar quite well. Still drinking quite young, this is aging at a glacial pace. An amazing and electrifying wine. 50+14+14+9.5+9.5 = 97
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Dinner at Frazier's with Brian & Lauren. From 375ml. Orange gold in color, I had no need to taste the wine as the waiter poured a sample in my glass. I could tell as soon as the cork was removed that this was going to be yet another spectacular experience with this bottling. I pronounced the wine not worthy of the other 3 people at the table in a feigned attempt to hoard the bottle for myself but none seemed to heed my advice. This wine combines the 3 aspects that went into making it in such an amzing way that never fails to excite me - smokiness and an earthy, peaty sensation from the Rangen vineyard, a honeyed texture that only high levels of clean botrytis could produce and to a lesser extent Gewurz typical aromas/flavors, which in this case took the form of fall baking spices. Full bodied and thick textured but with more than ample acidity to make sure cloying would never be part of someone's vocabulary when describing this nectar. Incredibly long finish. What will this wine be like when it moves past it's still youthful stage? I can't imagine how astounding it will be with further complexity and integration, nor do I have a good feel for when that transformation may start in earnest. This really seems like a timeless wine, one that someone could drink 100 years from now with supreme enjoyment. Absolutely perfectly matched to the panna cotta with honied peaches. My 7th time with this wine, really more than anyone could hope for ( though I anxiously await #8! ) 50+14+14+9.5+9.5 = 97
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Quite honestly, I couldn't imagine a better dessert wine. Granted, this is my first experience with a Gewurztraminer SGN, but this wine has got everything. Although they're two completely different animals, the only other stickie I've liked as much was a 90 d'Yquem.
The server brought this out and laid it on the opposite end of the table, and from there I could smell its gargantuan nose. Loads of honey and orange blossoms, with layers of spice and smoke delicately intermingling. Absolutely stunning color or kind of a burnt orange. Thick and viscous, but oh-so light and ethereal. My head spun as I tried to get my brain and tongue to comprehend all that was going on in the glass. On the palate, orange, flower petals, minerals & earth, a little pepper and clove, and just the right amount of botrytis. I didn't pick up on it until I read the other notes on this wine, but lychee was present as well. PERFECTLY balanced. Not too sweet, not too acidic. The finish pushed 2 minutes. I couldn't help but hold my glass up to the candle and watch the light flicker through this wine (when I didn't have my nose in the glass). I only wish I had more of this spectacular wine. This has the potential to age forever...
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Dinner at Fred & Ronnie's house. Gold to copper in color, this was a nice match with the ginger creme brulee. A very muscular wine with great intensity to it. More Rangen than Gewurz with a peaty, honied nature to it. Very long finish. Seems to be closing down a bit compared to previous bottles. When this starts developing some secondary characteristics it will be a real force to reckon with. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94+
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Dinner with Dale & Alisha at Wild Ginger. Medium gold in color, this wine always demands attention. As is typical of Rangen Gewurz, this showed little varietal typicity, more a wine of botrytis and terroir. Medium bolied with honey, botrytis, peat and earth on the nose and palate. Lots of acidity and structure. A slight Gewurz bitterness in the long finish. Still just a baby with decades of evolution to come. 50+13+14+9+9 = 95
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With dinner at Lantern to celebrate Dena's last day at work. Medium to dark gold in the glass, this is a huge wine that demands attention as soon as you put the glass towards your nose. The nose and palate combine the wine's 3 elements incredibly well - honey and botrytis representing the SGN, some roses and lychee representing the grape and a large element of minerality and peaty earthiness representing the vineyard. The full bodied palate really pops with great, refreshing acidity. On the long finish, there was a slight bitter element that really added to the whole. A remarkable SGN. 50+14+14+10+9.5 = 97.5
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Indian Food at Steve & Barb’s house: From 375ml. Medium gold in the glass, this wine had the perfect balance of varietal and terroir. The Gewurz contributed roses, lychees and that slightly bitter note ( in a positive way ) that the grape tends to reveal. The Rangen vineyard clearly made it’s mark on this wine contributing an earthiness along with loads of minerals. A big, sweet wine that somehow manages to float on the palate with a great purity of flavors and no sense of heaviness or cloying. It then almost dissolves on the tongue before a long finish that lasted for several minutes. This wine seems almost ageless in that it can probably continue to improve and gain more layers of complexity for 50 years. Really stunning! 50+14+15+9.5+9.5 = 98
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Dinner at Steve & Barb's house: After removing the outer plastic wrapping, we were alarmed by the signs of old seepage on the outside of the bottle. Then the cork came out very wet. Not a good sign but maybe the bottle is still ok? No such luck. While drinkable, this wine was nothing like it should have been, and has been in the past. Copper in color, but some oxidative notes and a thick, syrupy consistency. Really a shame.
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Dinner at Fearrington. We decided to bring out the big wines for our anniversary and neither wine was less than spectacular. This copper colored wonder was rich, unctuous and concentrated but not the least bit cloying.Opulent aromas and flavors of yellow fruits, honey, oranges, heavy botritis and the Rangen-signature minerals and earthiness. As is typical of Rangen Gewurz the varietal gets overtaken by the terroir but there were background aromas of roses.Full bodied and very approachable but this has decades of evolution ahead of it. A very long finish ends this marvellous experience. 50+14+14+9.5+10 = 97.5.
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2/18/2023 - salil wrote: 100 Points
A showstopper of a wine, somehow even better than the bottle I'd enjoyed at Jeff and Dena Morris' some years ago which wowed me. This stole the show in a lineup of great wines and was one of the most compelling and thrilling wines I've had in a few years. All the exotic and tropical fruit and florality I'd expect from Gewurz, rich honeyed and spicy botrytis notes, and that intensely smoky character I associate with Rangen wines that stands out even above the botrytis and immense fruit of this wine. Words fail to describe the depth, the length, the overall balance here. Definitely a wine that goes beyond anything I could have imagined or hoped for when I pulled the cork. My last/only bottle of this, but wow, this was something memorable.
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6/2/2019 - R&L wrote: flawed
TCA
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5/18/2016 - salil wrote: 98 Points
A crash course in Zind Humbrecht at Jeff and Dena's (Raleigh, NC): An astounding wine that's massively sweet and laden with botrytis, and still somehow manages to show the clear signature of both the grape and site. The Rangen peaty and smoky fragrance comes through in spades, and beneath all the peat and smoke are layers of ripe lychee, apricot marmalade, honey, and more flamboyant Gewurztraminer spice and florality. Like the '94 Goldert VT that preceded this, it's a high wire act of tremendous sweetness and acidity, and again the balance is impeccable with everything coming together very seamlessly on the palate, and remarkable length.
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12/31/2014 - JeffGMorris Likes this wine: 98 Points
Dark amber in color. One of the most technically complex wines I've ever had as it mixes plenty of Rangen terroir with fruit, spice, sweetness and acidity. As balanced as an elephant successfully walking a tightrope. An amazing wine for the ages. 50+14+15+9.5+9.5=98
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12/14/2012 - renapen wrote: 98 Points
Amazing golden in color, tasting of creme brulee, lychee and candied orange.
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2/12/2010 - JeffGMorris wrote: 96 Points
Dinner at Steve & Barb's house with Bob. As usual this wine was an orangey-amber in color. The nose is very sweet with white flowers and peaches quite evident. On the palate which is quite delicate there is the addition of lychees and orange blossoms. All around a very perfumed wine. Interestingly it is showing more Gewurz than Rangen on this occasion. A focused wine that holds together a beautiful balance of all aspects. 50+14+14+9+9 = 96
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6/19/2009 - JeffGMorris wrote: 97 Points
Dinner at Poole's Diner, Raleigh, NC with Craig & Melanie. Amber in the glass, this bottle had more Gewurz characteristics upfront than previous bottles, primarily in the form of flowers and fall baking spices. With time some Rangen peatiness is starting to show through as well. Clean and pure botrytis. Rides a tightrope between acid and sugar quite well. Still drinking quite young, this is aging at a glacial pace. An amazing and electrifying wine. 50+14+14+9.5+9.5 = 97
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7/21/2007 - JeffGMorris wrote: 97 Points
Dinner at Frazier's with Brian & Lauren. From 375ml. Orange gold in color, I had no need to taste the wine as the waiter poured a sample in my glass. I could tell as soon as the cork was removed that this was going to be yet another spectacular experience with this bottling. I pronounced the wine not worthy of the other 3 people at the table in a feigned attempt to hoard the bottle for myself but none seemed to heed my advice. This wine combines the 3 aspects that went into making it in such an amzing way that never fails to excite me - smokiness and an earthy, peaty sensation from the Rangen vineyard, a honeyed texture that only high levels of clean botrytis could produce and to a lesser extent Gewurz typical aromas/flavors, which in this case took the form of fall baking spices. Full bodied and thick textured but with more than ample acidity to make sure cloying would never be part of someone's vocabulary when describing this nectar. Incredibly long finish. What will this wine be like when it moves past it's still youthful stage? I can't imagine how astounding it will be with further complexity and integration, nor do I have a good feel for when that transformation may start in earnest. This really seems like a timeless wine, one that someone could drink 100 years from now with supreme enjoyment. Absolutely perfectly matched to the panna cotta with honied peaches. My 7th time with this wine, really more than anyone could hope for ( though I anxiously await #8! ) 50+14+14+9.5+9.5 = 97
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7/18/2007 - festiva wrote: 98 Points
Palena Dinner with W+A & PH.
Quite honestly, I couldn't imagine a better dessert wine. Granted, this is my first experience with a Gewurztraminer SGN, but this wine has got everything. Although they're two completely different animals, the only other stickie I've liked as much was a 90 d'Yquem.
The server brought this out and laid it on the opposite end of the table, and from there I could smell its gargantuan nose. Loads of honey and orange blossoms, with layers of spice and smoke delicately intermingling. Absolutely stunning color or kind of a burnt orange. Thick and viscous, but oh-so light and ethereal. My head spun as I tried to get my brain and tongue to comprehend all that was going on in the glass. On the palate, orange, flower petals, minerals & earth, a little pepper and clove, and just the right amount of botrytis. I didn't pick up on it until I read the other notes on this wine, but lychee was present as well. PERFECTLY balanced. Not too sweet, not too acidic. The finish pushed 2 minutes. I couldn't help but hold my glass up to the candle and watch the light flicker through this wine (when I didn't have my nose in the glass). I only wish I had more of this spectacular wine. This has the potential to age forever...
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12/13/2006 - JeffGMorris wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Fred & Ronnie's house. Gold to copper in color, this was a nice match with the ginger creme brulee. A very muscular wine with great intensity to it. More Rangen than Gewurz with a peaty, honied nature to it. Very long finish. Seems to be closing down a bit compared to previous bottles. When this starts developing some secondary characteristics it will be a real force to reckon with. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94+
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11/18/2005 - JeffGMorris wrote: 95 Points
Dinner with Dale & Alisha at Wild Ginger. Medium gold in color, this wine always demands attention. As is typical of Rangen Gewurz, this showed little varietal typicity, more a wine of botrytis and terroir. Medium bolied with honey, botrytis, peat and earth on the nose and palate. Lots of acidity and structure. A slight Gewurz bitterness in the long finish. Still just a baby with decades of evolution to come. 50+13+14+9+9 = 95
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8/26/2005 - JeffGMorris wrote: 98 Points
With dinner at Lantern to celebrate Dena's last day at work. Medium to dark gold in the glass, this is a huge wine that demands attention as soon as you put the glass towards your nose. The nose and palate combine the wine's 3 elements incredibly well - honey and botrytis representing the SGN, some roses and lychee representing the grape and a large element of minerality and peaty earthiness representing the vineyard. The full bodied palate really pops with great, refreshing acidity. On the long finish, there was a slight bitter element that really added to the whole. A remarkable SGN. 50+14+14+10+9.5 = 97.5
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2/18/2005 - JeffGMorris wrote: 98 Points
Indian Food at Steve & Barb’s house: From 375ml. Medium gold in the glass, this wine had the perfect balance of varietal and terroir. The Gewurz contributed roses, lychees and that slightly bitter note ( in a positive way ) that the grape tends to reveal. The Rangen vineyard clearly made it’s mark on this wine contributing an earthiness along with loads of minerals. A big, sweet wine that somehow manages to float on the palate with a great purity of flavors and no sense of heaviness or cloying. It then almost dissolves on the tongue before a long finish that lasted for several minutes. This wine seems almost ageless in that it can probably continue to improve and gain more layers of complexity for 50 years. Really stunning! 50+14+15+9.5+9.5 = 98
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11/20/2004 - JeffGMorris wrote:
Dinner at Steve & Barb's house: After removing the outer plastic wrapping, we were alarmed by the signs of old seepage on the outside of the bottle. Then the cork came out very wet. Not a good sign but maybe the bottle is still ok? No such luck. While drinkable, this wine was nothing like it should have been, and has been in the past. Copper in color, but some oxidative notes and a thick, syrupy consistency. Really a shame.
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10/4/2004 - AJ72 wrote: 95 Points
Awesome wine!
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8/19/2004 - JeffGMorris wrote: 98 Points
Dinner at Fearrington. We decided to bring out the big wines for our anniversary and neither wine was less than spectacular. This copper colored wonder was rich, unctuous and concentrated but not the least bit cloying.Opulent aromas and flavors of yellow fruits, honey, oranges, heavy botritis and the Rangen-signature minerals and earthiness. As is typical of Rangen Gewurz the varietal gets overtaken by the terroir but there were background aromas of roses.Full bodied and very approachable but this has decades of evolution ahead of it. A very long finish ends this marvellous experience. 50+14+14+9.5+10 = 97.5.
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