As much as I love the Gewurztraminer grape, I've never tasted a Traminette (a cross of Gewurzt with the French-American hybrid Joannes Seyve 23.416) that I cared for. Yes, there is a lot of Gewurztraminer character in most, but something is always missing for me.
This McGregor Vineyard 2007 Traminette ($16) showed great potential on the nose. It was floral, but reservedly so, with lychee and loads of spice character. Would this be the first Traminette to prove me wrong?
Sadly, no. The palate shows nice, ripe pear, apple and more of that delicious gingery-spice. The flavors, on the whole, are nice, even if the palate is a bit too floral.
But the mid-palate is just a bit flat, and would be almost flabby if not for decent acidity that keeps it near-clean. The finish is long and tropical, but a bit too sweet as well, which is a surprise given only 1% RS.
Producer: McGregor Vineyard
AVA: Finger Lakes
Price: $16
ABV: 11.8%
RS: 1.00%
Rating: 
(2 out of 5 | Average)
Lenn,
Sounds like what you're describing is a wine that is out of balance but still holding potential. I'd be curious to learn more about why some wineries choose to make Traminette. It's been explained to me in the past that Traminette is intended to be roughly the same in aromatics and flavor as Gewurz, but much more winter-durable. So I assume the only reason is return on investment, but perhaps there is more. And there is obviously nothing wrong with planting a grape that offers good ROI.
Posted by: Evan Dawson | March 17, 2009 at 05:20 PM
Traminette always reminds me of overwhelming old lady perfume...
Posted by: Tom Mansell | March 17, 2009 at 05:34 PM
You owe it to yourself to try Rooster Hill's Traminette, also from the east side of Keuka. It's fantastic, and made a convert out of me.
Posted by: Peter Bell / Fox Run | March 18, 2009 at 07:25 AM
Evan: I think you're right. My understanding is that the benefits of Traminette vs. Gewurztraminer are all about cold hardiness. I assume that is why it's so prevalent in the Finger Lakes. The potential is clearly there, just not realized in this bottle.
Tom: Many of the ones I've tasted have been very reminiscent of my grandmother's bedroom. Agreed.
Peter: Thanks for the reco. Any other local renditions that I should check out? Do you guys grow any?
Posted by: Lenn Thompson | March 18, 2009 at 07:49 AM
Fox Run doesn't grow any Traminette. I haven't tried very many local versions, but often they smell more like Seyval cut with a little GW. It can be grown in sites that are too cold for GW, but as far as I can tell Traminette has not really lived up to the hype about significant cold hardiness.
Barry at Rooster Hill doesn't skin contact his Traminette, i.e. he just crushes and presses, which is quite surprising considering how aromatic it is.
Posted by: Peter Bell / Fox Run | March 18, 2009 at 08:17 AM
I am a fan of BET THE FARM's Traminette (finger lakes appellation) which peaked my interest in this hybrid. It is now sold out but I hold a bottle or two in my possession. I am savoring it for the right occasion. It earned a silver medal by consumers at the NY State Fair last year, I believe. I had to concur with the accolades when I tried it myself!
Posted by: Antoinette Di Ciaccio | March 20, 2009 at 08:09 PM
Antoinette,
Where is Bet the Farm?
Posted by: Evan Dawson | March 21, 2009 at 10:29 AM
bet the farm is on the east side of cayuga lake in aurora, right off of 90.
Posted by: Tom Mansell | March 23, 2009 at 02:03 AM