2005 Gewurztraminer Beerenauslese, Willi Opitz

Lusciously golden and intoxicatingly aromatic, the 2005 Gewürztraminer Beerenauslese from Willi Opitz is a heady expression of the grape’s most exotic side. The nose is a kaleidoscope of rose petals, lychee, orange blossom, honey and crystallised ginger, with a subtle undertone of clove and saffron. The palate is unctuous yet perfectly poised, waves of tropical fruit and floral spice carried by a vibrant thread of acidity that keeps the sweetness in check. Rich, perfumed and endlessly layered, it lingers on notes of candied citrus and wildflower honey, glowing long after the last sip.

For when: indulgence feels not only deserved but necessary.
Pairs with: spiced desserts, foie gras, or a cheeseboard heavy on the blues.
If this wine were a scent, it’d be an amber perfume in a crystal bottle, exotic, luxurious, unforgettable.

Willi Opitz, the artisan alchemist of Illmitz in Austria’s Burgenland, has built an international reputation for crafting wines that turn nature’s fleeting moments into liquid art. Working beside Lake Neusiedl, where misty mornings and sunlit afternoons create perfect conditions for Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), Opitz hand-selects his botrytised berries one by one, transforming them into intensely concentrated Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines of striking purity and balance.

The Gewürztraminer Beerenauslese showcases his mastery of the variety, a grape famed for its exuberance, tamed here into elegance. The 2005 vintage, marked by warmth and ideal botrytis conditions, yielded fruit of incredible aromatic power and natural balance. Fermented slowly and aged gently to preserve freshness, this wine captures everything that makes Willi Opitz’s sweet wines so special: precision, perfume, and pure joy in a glass.