Winter has yet to loosen its grip on Alberta, and I, for one, have had enough. In an effort to move things along into spring I opened my second-to-last bottle of 2009 Cedar Creek Ehrenfelser last night. As mentioned previously, this uncommon wine is a definite household favorite of ours and a great summer patio staple.
The Ehrenfelser grape is originally from Germany, where it was developed by crossing Riesling with Sylvaner (don’t worry, most people have never heard of it either), which happens to ripen earlier. The resulting grape is not held in as high esteem as Riesling, but can produce very nice wines in the hands of an expert.
The wine is a pale gold colour, with a very fruity nose. Cedar creek refers to it as “fruit salad in a glass”, and I am inclined to agree. The most notable scents are passion-fruit, grapefruit and a little peach.
The fruit remains strong into the body, unlike some fragrant whites. The grapefruit is prominent, along with nectarine and hint of spice. The acidity is not overly strong, and is very refreshing.
The wine finishes off-dry (look, something other than dry for once). It is also a little short, which is slightly disappointing when all those wonderful flavours disappear too quickly from your tongue.
This particular vintage is good, but not up to the level of some of the best previous vintages. This was partly due to the fact that 2009 was not the best summer for white wines in the Okanagan. Regardless, it is still a delicious and refreshing wine that tends to work equally well as a summer sipper and as a complement to most foods. I highly recommend you seek it out if the opportunity presents itself.
Synopsis:
Availability: Limited (the 2010 should be available soon)
Price: Low ~$13
D’s Rating: 3.5/5
Notes: Get it, drink it, enjoy it. It’s a wine for wine drinkers and non-wine drinkers alike.
dustonthebottle 