Savagnin is traminer, but not gewürtztraminer or gewürtztraminer that is called traminer. And nor just for good measure is it albariño. These sentences unexpectedly make sense because savagnin has been proven to be the same grape variety is that called traminer in Germany, the CSIRO confirmed in 2009 that source material propagated at the CSIRO that was thought to be albariño is in fact savagnin and gewürtztraminer is not traminer, even though it often has been called this name in Australia.
This state of affairs is sort of like calling a pear a lettuce and then importing bananas that are in fact lettuce to sell to customers hoping for bananas and thinking they already have lettuce when they have pears, and it turns out wish to have lettuce after all. But I digress. What I can say is that savagnin is most certainly the grape variety of the moment, because the same variety underlies the ultra fashionable wines of Jura.
The wine in the glass here is a savagnin from Stockman’s Ridge in the Central Ranges Zone. It’s a wine of interest, with aromatics of citrus, talc and yoghurt and some honey at the edges. The palate is balanced with a fuller body, lemon citrus and bread characters and some crisp acidity that shows itself with time. A nice drink.
Rating: Acceptable to Good, Abv: 13.9%, Price: $23, Source: sample, Vendors: http://www.wine-searcher.com/, Website: http://www.stockmansridge.com.au, Tasted: 2015
