Lawson’s Dry Hills Gewurztraminer 1999

If you’re looking for a light, wispy wine, you should bypass the 1999 Gewurztraminer. In the style of great Alsatian examples of this varietal, Lawson’s Dry Hills offers up a cachet of scents and flavors reminiscent of the lychee, rose petal and, of course, spice. (Gewurztraminer means spicy traminer in German.) Mouth filling, and viscous without residual sugar, Mike Just’s ‘99 Gewurztraminer captures the essence of this varietal. This is a superb, tour de force for the winery, as well as the entire New Zealand wine industry. Again, our only regret is that there is so little of this wine to go around.

We suggest that you pair foie gras with this flamboyant dandy, it makes for a splendid starter. You’ll get rave revues when you serve Gewurztraminer 1999, with pork or ham in savory, fruit-based sauces. And this is the perfect wine for often hard to match, spicy foods, as well as Asian cuisine. Those of you who are true enthusiasts will enjoy this brilliant creation all by itself… Gewurztraminer 1999 is a fine wine that can proudly stand alone.

Lawson’s Dry Hills is a state of the art winery in New Zealand’s leading appellation, Marlborough. Longtime grape growers, Ross and Barbara Lawson, founded Lawson’s Dry Hills in 1992, and they remain committed to producing only premium Marlborough wines. Within just seven years of production, this winery is credited with an enviable record having won gold medals in major wine shows and competitions for all of its wines. German winemaker, Mike Just, is devoted to traditional cool climate varietals: Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir… and he has put New Zealand’s finest fruit and Lawson’s Dry Hills on the world’s wine map. Already Lawson’s Dry Hills is being compared to the legendary Zind Humbrecht, France’s greatest producer of Alsace wine. One can find Lawson’s Dry Hills wines in a number of France’s finest restaurants… no mean feat for a New Zealand winery. The only drawback to this estate is the limited availability of its wonderful wines.