Barmes’ 2005 Gewurztraminer Rosenberg was very long in fermentation. Peppermint, lemon zest, white pepper, and rose petal in the nose lead to a strikingly bright, juicy palate impression that puts me in mind of Riesling. Tasting almost dry thanks to the combination of relatively low residual sugar with efficacious acidity, it hides its alcohol completely, finishing with lip-smacking juiciness, invigorating salinity, and pungent smokiness, citrus zest, peppermint and pepper. This palate-saturating, stimulating, sassy, and utterly improbable take on Gewurztraminer is one of several striking Barmes successes that must be tasted to be believed. How it will evolve is anybody’s guess, but if it tones down a little (as it surely will) one could then at least take off the sunglasses and get a better look. I for one shall be following this inevitably food-friendly wine for a few years with piqued curiosity. (The strikingly soft, low-toned 2005 Wintzenheim bottling was like this Rosenberg’s alter ego, and also had trouble handling its alcohol.) The affable Francois Barmes vocally advocates biodynamic viticulture and earlier harvesting to achieve balanced wines of juicy fruit and digestabilite. That said, more than a few of those I tasted were big-bodied to say the least, and certain of them could not handle their alcohol.Importer: Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608 9644; also, a Thomas Calder Selection (various importers), Paris; fax 011-33-1-46-45-15-29.
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