Defying all odds, the Gewürztraminer field closest to Navarro’s tasting room has produced three back to back vintages of this luscious nectar. We harvested this location four to eight weeks later than our other Gewürz vineyards. That late in the season the weather had turned cold and wet. Humidity creates perfect conditions for rot and when nature serves up cool weather as well, botrytis cinerea, affectionately known as the noble rot, dominates the more plebian molds and fungi. Botrytis cinerea spreads relentlessly through soggy clusters, especially when the berries are tight and close. If conditions are perfect, the weather remains cool but turns dry just after most of the clusters are infected. As the anointed berries dry out, the juice is slowly concentrated into this drink of the gods.

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The field that we set aside for this wine would normally produce 900 to 1000 cases of dry wine. In 2002 when the juice was concentrated by dehydration the amount produced was less than a quarter of normal yield but had flavors that were four times as concentrated. Gewürztraminer’s aromas are reminiscent of honeysuckle, litchi, peach, and citrus. Botrytis cinerea bestows a kiss of apricot, pineapple and honey which perhaps explains why this rot is considered noble. Navarro exports a bit of wine to Germany each year where the world’s best trockenbeerenauslese wines are produced. Guess what? This wine is Navarro’s top seller there. Gold Medal winner and Best of Class.