2017 Biggio Hamina Biha Andreas Vineyard Gewürztraminer

 

2017 Biggio Hamina Biha Andreas Vineyard Gewürztraminer

2017 Biggio Hamina Cellars Gewürztraminer Andreas Vineyard, USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley - CellarTracker

Vintage: 2017
Region: Willamette Valley AVA, Oregon
Winery: Biggio Hamina Cellars
Varietal: Gewürztraminer
Price: $20.00 from a local wine shop
My Rating: 91 Points


The Review: As I was looking through my notes trying to figure out a wine to write about, I stumbled upon this one that I drank a little ways back. Remember how in the last blog post I said that color comes from the skins of the grapes? Well, today's example is what happens when you ferment a white grape with the skins. Normally, white wine isn't ever in contact with the skins, but when it is ("skin contact"), it produces an orange color- thus the wine is known as "orange wine." This skin contact provides some interesting depth in the way of tannins while still presenting classic white wine taste. This method of white winemaking is actually ancient, but disappeared for a while and is just now starting to make a comeback in the natural wine world (see my other blog post marked "minimal intervention" for a longer explanation of what natural wine is).

The 2017 Biggio Hamina Biha Gewürztraminer is a perfect example of orange and minimal intervention winemaking. Based out of the Willamette Valley in Oregon, this wine is fermented with natural yeasts and is unfiltered. So, there will be stuff floating around in there. Shake it up before you drink it- it's good for you.

This wine is really interesting. For those of you who haven't tried Gewürz before, it's really floral and very spiced. The Biggio Hamina Biha Gewürz is no exception. It opens up with aromas of honeysuckle with an undertone reminiscent of citra hops. I noted that it was quite floral, with a bit of an earthy note and some overripe peach that sneaks in there too. The taste and texture are where things get really interesting. The wine is velvety smooth and has a mouthfeel that's got some structure and is more reminiscent of a red wine. The tastes include dried peach and apricot as well as mandarin orange syrup. There's a nice floral touch on the finish with an intriguing savory characteristic. I remember it being quite refreshing and fun to drink.

Overall, I'd recommend trying an orange wine to anyone. I personally think they're really exciting and that we'll start to see a lot more as natural winemaking continues to expand. Oh and P.S.- it's Willamette Dammit (Willamette and dammit should rhyme). Hopefully, I just saved you being corrected by a wine-o, cause no one ever told me that.

drink what you like,

db

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