Troebel Wijnen
Gewürztraminer 2024 - Domein Zavel
Gewürztraminer 2024 - Domein Zavel
Couldn't load pickup availability
The Wine & Winemaker
- Winemaker: Joni (Domein ZAVEL)
- Region: Tegelen, Limburg, Netherlands
- Grape: 100% Gewürztraminer
The Story
We are kicking off the Dutch edition with a wine from a very young but incredibly talented maker. 29 year old Joni worked in German vineyards for years to master his craft, after which he decided to start his own project in the picturesque town of Tegelen in Limburg. He is currently busy planting his own vineyards, but for this Gewürztraminer, he works with grapes from his friends across the border in Germany. Some purists might argue this makes it less of a 'real' Dutch wine, but we completely disagree. After all, Rolex also sources its materials from other countries, yet the final product remains an absolute masterpiece of Swiss engineering. It is all about what the maker does with the material. And Joni does fantastic things with it. Because he apparently was not busy enough (because who needs sleep anyway?), he also opened a fine dining restaurant called SOBER. We had the pleasure of tasting his entire range there alongside a beautifully prepared dinner, and this bottle immediately stood out as our dream number one.
The Vibe & Tasting Notes
This Gewürztraminer pours beautifully clear into your glass with a refreshing, very light bubble. It is an incredibly lovely, soft, and juicy wine. On the nose, you are immediately treated to lush aromas of ripe stone fruits like apricot and melon, beautifully balanced by an elegant hint of rosewater and something reminiscent of stem ginger. The wine has a tiny bit of residual sugar, which does not make it syrupy, but rather highly accessible and playfully off-dry. It is a wonderfully pleasant, fruity wine that is simply a joy to drink. Pop it open in the garden as soon as the sun breaks through, or serve it in the evening alongside a refined, light starter.
Why natural wine costs more, and why it’s worth it
-
No shortcuts
Growers who refuse pesticides and chemical additives accept that they’ll lose a significant part of their harvest to weather, disease, and unpredictable nature, but they do it to keep their wines pure, alive, and honest.
-
Risk and loss
Nature swings between plenty and scarcity; frost, hail, heat and ferments can erase volumes, fewer bottles must carry the farm’s costs, with ageing measures adding expense to keep the wine clean and true over time.
-
Integrity and handwork
Hands replace chemicals: they weed, manage canopies, pick, and sort by hand; presses and gravity moves protect texture, while cleanliness and patient ageing deliver purity without shortcuts, increasing labor but preserving integrity in every bottle.
