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)