By Lenn Thompson, Executive Editor
We get back to regular programming post-holidays with one of the wines I enjoyed most during our brief hiatus -- Anthony Nappa Wines 2010 Spezia ($18) a gewurztraminer for gewurztraminer lovers.
Spezia is Italian for "spice" -- and this is a wine that delivers a heaping pile of varietal character.
Bursting with complex aromas of tropical fruit, peach, gingery spice, and rose petal the nose also features a grapefruit-spice-herb note that is reminiscent of some heavily-hopped India Pale Ales I've enjoyed.
Though hefty at 14.6% abv, the dry, mouth-filling palate wears that alcohol well, offering a melange of tropical fruits -- pineapple, mango and papaya -- with notes of fig, spicy candied ginger, and more of that floral-herbal quality. Ripe, but focused, there is great balance here with subtle varietal bitterness and beautifully incorporated acidity.
I enjoyed a couple glasses of this the day after Christmas at my sister in-law's house along side a maple-glazed ham. It was one of the best pairings of my holiday season.
Producer: Anthony Nappa Wines
AVA: North Fork of Long Island
ABV: 14.6%
Price: $18
(4 out of 5 | Outstanding and Delicious, Highly Recommended)
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