If this isn’t a reason to celebrate: the Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer 2018 from the Tramin Winery was awarded the top mark “Tre Bicchieri” (Three Glasses) by the leading Italian wine guide Gambero Rosso, thus delivering a sensation. This is in fact the twentieth consecutive Three Glasses Award.
Since 1999, every new vintage of Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer has been awarded this top mark. The Nussbaumer is thus the most awarded Gewürztraminer in the history of Gambero Rosso, it is the most awarded Gewürztraminer in Italy, and one of the most awarded wines in the country as a whole.
A wine where the elegance and spicy aromatics of this ancient variety find their maximum expression.
The Tramin Winery has created a special edition for this occasion – on the one hand, to celebrate “20 years Three Glasses” in a fitting manner, but also because a matured Gewürztraminer is the ideal wine for the festive delights around Christmas. The wooden box with three wines is suitable as a gift, but also as a purchase for connoisseurs who want to reward themselves and are looking for a very special wine accompaniment for the festive season.
The Special-Edition is limited, there are only 500 editions
Each contains one bottle of Nussbauer 2018, i.e. the current vintage with the anniversary label, as well as two bottles from earlier, great vintages, for example 2006 and 2012. In any case, connoisseurs will have the opportunity with the Special Edition to experience the aging potential of a top spice traminer from the home of this unusual grape variety.
Vintage Description
Even though bud break occurred at a relatively late stage this year, high temperatures and humidity helped precipitate flowering. As of mid-June, weather conditions were hot and dry, and the vines benefited from slight water stress, which led to optimal conclusion of their growth and ideal passage to maturation. Intensive rainfall shortly before the beginning of the harvest turned out to be beneficial for the grapes, as it allowed them to reach the final stage of maturity without drought stress. Throughout the harvest period, the weather was sunny and dry, ideal conditions for perfect maturity and a harmonious development of grape aromas. Hence, each grape variety and every vineyard could be harvested at the best possible moment. The results are white wines with elegant structure and delicate acidity. The red wines show great potential as well, with a full body and powerful tannins.
The Tramin Winery and the Gewürztraminer
The Tramin Winery, founded in 1898, is one of the oldest winegrowers’ cooperatives in South Tyrol and today, with 160 member families, cultivates around 260 hectares of vineyards around the wine village of Tramin. The fact that the Gewürztraminer grape variety is so important in the winery’s programme is due above all to the passion of cellarmaster Willi Stürz. For more than 20 years, he has been reinterpreting this grape variety, which has long been regarded as rather old-fashioned, and year after year, he bottles incredibly finesse-rich, fresh and at the same time complex wines.
With the 20th top mark from Gambero Rosso, cellar master Willi Stürz sees his path confirmed: “For many years we have put all our heart and soul into this variety, it is part of our identification. Our Gewürztraminer stand out. They are different from Gewürztraminer, which are produced in other wine regions of the world. First and foremost, they are fresh and spicy, and despite their intensity, they display a noble, delicate aroma. We have always believed in the dry vinification typical of South Tyrol, and this has now made a name for itself as a style of its own even outside of Italy”.
Cellar Master Willi Stürz proudly looks back on 20 years of Gewürztraminer Nussbaumer and 20 years of “Tre Bicchieri”. Photo: Tramin Winery
Fascinating food companion
The Nussbaumer demands attention, he wants to be understood. Its distinctive aromas make it a perfect companion for noble dishes, such as those served on the table on festive days: It goes well with fish dishes and smoked meat, beautifully matured soft cheese, white meat, swordfish or tuna; ideal with shellfish and seafood, spectacular accompaniment to spicy dishes of oriental cuisine and creative spicy and aromatic creations, such as combinations with mushrooms, chard, fennel, avocado, savoy cabbage, Galangal root, ginger, oranges, apricots, vinegar, jams and fresh herbs such as tarragon, rosemary, dill, thyme, bay leaf, chervil, saffron, mint or lemongrass, which offer an unleashed interplay of aromas.
A wine of origin
The name is derived from the Nussbaumerhof in Söll, which, with its 700-year history of winegrowing, is one of the oldest farms in Tramin. The vines grow in Söll at an altitude between 350 and 550 metres. The reason for the unmistakable aroma of this wine lies in the very special climate, which is characterised by both Mediterranean and Alpine influences. On the one hand the sun gives the grapes strength. On the other hand, cold down winds from the mountains bring freshness and elegance to the grapes, letting the fruity notes stand out and ensuring that they develop an incredibly juicy character. Added to this are soils of clay and lime on volcanic rock subsoil, which act as a heat reservoir, especially on the coveted hillside sites. When tasting the walnut, a true basket of fruit, flower and spice scents rises to the nose. Rose petals, spicy flowers of lilies, ripe yellow exotic fruits, citrus zests and the unmistakable spicy notes that gave the variety its name: dried herbs, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
The vineyards around the Nussbaumerhof in Söll, above Tramin: This is where the grapes for the legendary Nussbaumer come from. Photo: Guenther Facchinelli
Expertise in Gewürztraminer
The Nussbaumer is the most frequently awarded and internationally best known Gewürztraminer of the Tramin Winery – but not the only one. With Gewürztraminer wines in different varieties, the winery demonstrates the fascinating diversity of this grape variety: The spectrum of 5 wines ranges from the classically dry “Selida” to the “Terminum”, which is made from noble rotted grapes. “Epokale” is without doubt the most spectacular variety. It is aged rather baroque and is allowed to age for seven years in a four kilometer deep mining tunnel before it is put on the market. The first vintage of Epokale (2009) already received the highest rating from the renowned Wine Advocate, bringing 100 Parker points to South Tyrol for the first time.
The special edition is available immediately at a price of 119 Euro (incl. VAT) online at tramin.shop and in well-assorted specialist shops.