Santa Barbara Winery, Santa Barbara County (California) Dry Gewürztraminer 2016

 Full disclosure:  I’ve had so many bad experiences with perfumy, low-acid, flaccid bottles of Gewurztraminer that I wouldn’t ordinarily walk across the street to taste a wine out of this category.  But in this case, I’d walk across a freeway during rush hour.  It is nicely aromatic without being over-bearing, with classic rose petal scents, followed by fruit that is expressive despite being truly dry in profile.  There’s plenty of acidity to freshen the finish, and there’s no “disagreement” between the wine’s floral topnotes (which can suggest sweetness) and its dry aftertaste.  A Platinum Award winner at the 2018 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge.