Tonight with a dinner of chicken stir-fried in black bean sauce, I opened:

2005 Navarro Vineyards Gewürztraminer "Cuvée Traditional"
nose: lichees, alcohol, minerals
palate: lemons, pineapple, minerals, crisp acidity, light body, a hint
of RS, slightly bitter finish

Purchased recently during a shopping spree in Indy, this long-time
favorite proved to be a very nice example of the variety. Styled more
in line with Alsace than California, it was a little thin at the end,
but still went well with the food. Listed at 13.5% ABV, it came across
as a lighter wine.

Mark Lipton
--
alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

On Apr 19, 8:49 pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> Tonight with a dinner of chicken stir-fried in black bean sauce, I opened:
>
> 2005 Navarro Vineyards Gewürztraminer "Cuvée Traditional"
> nose: lichees, alcohol, minerals
> palate: lemons, pineapple, minerals, crisp acidity, light body, a hint
> of RS, slightly bitter finish
>
> Purchased recently during a shopping spree in Indy, this long-time
> favorite proved to be a very nice example of the variety. Styled more
> in line with Alsace than California, it was a little thin at the end,
> but still went well with the food. Listed at 13.5% ABV, it came across
> as a lighter wine.
>
> Mark Lipton
> --
> alt.food.wine FAQ: http://winefaq.hostexcellence.com

The Navarro is my "default" quality dry gewurz too.
I've tasted the current gewurz from both Navarro (Cuvee Traditional)
and Lazy Creek earlier this month (not side by side though). The Lazy
Creek comes out ahead IMHO (but considered the price difference,
perhaps it should); it's fuller bodied, more concentrated and
altogether a bigger wine. The golden color is quite a lot darker, the
nose intensity is in another league. Even the bitter finish is more
marked, but a little bit of bitterness is part of the gewurz game,
isn't it?

Man-Ho Chu

p.s. Perhaps it's more fair to compare the estate bottled Navarro with
the Lazy Creek, but it was sold out when I went there, how
unfortunate.