Delheim Gewürztraminer 2020

One of the most magical wine experiences that I've had in my life was sitting in the underground tasting room at Delheim and tasting their Gewürztraminer for the first time. It was magical! I absolutely loved the style, the balance, the unique tropical fruits in the wine and the natural but subtle sweetness. For many years, I asked friends to please stop at Delheim and buy me a bottle of their Gewürztraminer when they travel in the Stellenbosch direction. Now, fortunately, I can buy their wines from some local suppliers in the Johannesburg area.

Trying to expose club members to some of my favourite wines, the Delheim Gewürztraminer was high on the list! I presented it on the day that I decided to challenge a few palates by swapping varieties around and introducing some unusual combinations. And suddenly there was this little gem! You hear in the room... Murmurings like: it smells good; oh wow; it's sweet! And the best part is that the people who always object to the sweet wines, did not say a word!

This wine has a light lime colour and is very forthcoming on the nose. It is a very aromatic wine. The first and most prominent note is that of litchis, followed by white pear and rose petals – a dead give-away of a Gewürztraminer. Upon entry, it is elegant but with a good acidity to activate the entire palate. It delivers well on the nose, with litchis, pear, rose petals and Turkish delight. This develops slowly into a softer tone of honeycomb and lemon zest. It lingers for some time and finishes off with a slight hint of white flowers.

This is a brilliant wine and Delheim is one of a handful of producers, planting this German variety. It surely is one of my favourites and the ideal wine for all occasions. Its complexity overshadows the off-dry sweetness, therefore one does not need to be cautious of the high sugar content in the wine – it will work well with a wide variety of dishes, including curries and spicy food.

Producer: Delheim

Variety: Gewürztraminer

Vintage: 2021

Origin: Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa

Winemaker: Roelof Lotriet

Closure: Srewtop

Alcohol:13%

RS: 12.8g/l

Average price: R175

Rating: 94/100