Cedar Creek Ehrenfelser 2008 ($19)

This is what Canadian wine geeks like me wait for all winter -- the spring release of the Okanagan whites. Ah, and was it ever worth waiting for.

If you love aromatic whites like I do, you need to taste Cedar Creek's Ehrenfelser. It's a wine to die for. Killer tropical fruit bomb nose -- papaya, pineapple, and mango with floral honeysuckle. On the palate, more tropical fruit dominated by tangerine. It's classed as off dry but I don't find it sweet at all. Glorious balance, nice acidity. Heavenly.

Anthony Gismondi, he of the fabulous shoulders, gives this wine a 89. I give it a yum.

The Ehrenfelser was released on May 1. Taylorwood Wines in Vancouver's Yaletown has 3 cases left and there may be more to be found throughout Vancouver, but it's going to be sold out in a month or two, so get yours now.

(Originally posted on Full Bodied)

Cono Sur Vision Riesling 'Quiltranam' 2007

Category: White Wine
Varietal: Riesling
Producer: Cono Sur
Name: Vision Riesling 'Quiltranam'
Vintage: 2007
Country: Chile
Region: Bio Bio Valley
Appellation: Bio Bio Valley
Alcohol Content: 13.5%
Price Range: $10

Color & Clarity
The Cono Sur Vision Riesling 'Quiltranam' 2007 is a very sharp, golden yellow with slight greenish edges. The overall quality is clear — so clear, that the center can be quite watery.

Nose
The aroma of the Cono Sur Riesling is young and fresh, zesty and lemony. It almost tingles in the nose with mineral and citrus scents, but it loses a tremendous amount of this by the next day.

Palate
As with the aromas, the taste of the Cono Sur Riesling is characterized by zesty, crisp, citrus flavors — primarily grapefruit, but with some mineral notes at the end. It's not especially complex and might prove to be a little on the sweet side for some but it has a nice, medium body and a moderate, short flavor intensity that works well in a variety of circumstances. It's acid levels work very well — strong enough to make the wine crisp, but not overwhelmingly so. You could sip it alone or pair it with food.



Food Pairing

Pairing Cono Sur Vision Riesling with Cheeses

• Cheddar Cheese: Cono Sur Riesling is at best mediocre with cheddar.


• Swiss Cheese: This is a nasty combination and should be avoided.


• Aged Gouda: This Riesling is neutral with aged Gouda — not great, but not horrible.

Pairing Cono Sur Vision Riesling with Meats

• Chicken Sausage: The Cono Sur Riesling is good with mild chicken sausage, becoming a bit more sweet without losing its acidity.


• Salmon Burger: This is a neutral pairing and I expect that the Cono Sur Riesling would work reasonably well with other fish dishes as well.

Pairing Cono Sur Vision Riesling with Main Dishes

• Chicken Versailles: The Cono Sur Riesling becomes more tart and dry when paired with this dish, producing an even more crisp and refreshing finish. This is definitely recommended and other baked or fried chicken dishes would probably work equally well.


• Creamy Ranch Dressing: You may not pick a wine just to go with the salad, but it helps if the salad doesn't conflict with the wine. In this case, the Cono Sur Riesling becomes mellow and sweeter when eaten with a salad with ranch dressing. The apple flavors come out more strongly as well, which was surprising.


• Salted Rosemary Potatoes: Although the Cono Sur Riesling isn't an inherently complex wine, the salt and rosemary made it taste that way. This pairing is worth having all on its own.


• Roast Turkey with Gravy, Stuffing: The Cono Sur Riesling goes reasonably well with turkey — it's not outstanding, but it makes for a decent combination if you want a crisp white wine to go with roast turkey.

Cross-posted from A Taste of Wine

Helfrich Vin d'Alsace Riesling 2007

Category: White Wine
Varietal: Riesling
Producer: Helfrich
Vintage: 2007
Country: France
Region: Alsace
Appellation: Alsace
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Price Range: $10-15

Color & Clarity
The Helfrich 2007 Reisling is a clear, pale yellow wine with green tinges around the edges.

Nose
The positive, moderate aromas of the Helfrich 2007 Reisling are a combination of citrus and herbaceous elements. None are quite strong enough to identify clearly, but the blend is quite pleasant.

Palate
The Helfrich 2007 Reisling starts out with positive citrus flavors then moves to a crisp, dry, mineral finish of moderate length. In fact, the finish is a bit drier than the initial impression would suggest and the acidity of this wine develops over time.

Overall it's medium dry, light bodied, and reasonably well balanced. My wife, who has generally liked sweeter Rieslings, was very happy with this and now has more interest in trying and experimenting with drier Rieslings. It's a moderately complex wine that will probably continue to be worth drinking over the next couple of years, so if you can find it at a good price it should prove to be a decent value.

Although this Helfrich Riesling only received a score of 89 from Wine Spectator, I was really impressed by its flavors and how well it paired with fish. In comparison, the 2005 Hugel et Fils Riesling is widely considered an especially good vintage, but I didn't like it nearly as much. I'll get this Helfrich Riesling again and I'll recommend it highly to others, even those unsure about dry Rieslings, but I won't go out of my way to get the Hugel Riesling again.

Food Pairing
The acidity of the Helfrich 2007 Reisling makes it a bit too tart for my taste if I were just sitting and sipping it, but this wine really shines when paired with the right food. I had this Riesling with some salmon which really brought out the wine's citrus flavors and increased the aromas the developed in the back of my throat.

It was even better when a creamy dill sauce was added to the salmon, making the Riesling much smoother and sweeter. This also brought out an increased tingling just on the tip of my tongue. The Helfrich 2007 Reisling also went fairly well with asparagus and hollandaise sauce, which also made the wine a bit smoother and sweeter. You would be safe pairing this with just about any dish based on fatty fish and/or with creamy sauces.


Cross-Posted from A Taste of Wine

2005 J. J. Prum Kabinett Riesling ($30)

Check out the Chateau Petrogasm review of this wine:

Woodward Canyon: Nelm's Road in Walla Walla

Here's a wine that I could almost make some peace with when it comes to an 89 score, but the only reason is due to the fact it's a "second" label. And at the same time, in spite of the fact it is a "second label," it's a second label for a world class winery.

Nelm's Road is the second label for Woodward Canyon. Woodward Canyon is one of the oldest wineries in the Walla Walla Valley and has had more than it's share of 90+ scores from the likes of Parker, 'Spectator and the 'Enthusiast. Woodward Canyon started producing their second label in 1998, offering Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla and Washington State grapes. I know damn good and well, "Woody's" second label could stand up to a lot of high-end wines in a blind tasting. It's that good.

Nelms Road Merlot - 2007 received an 89 from the Wine Enthusiast. What I love about the Nelms Road reds, is I always know I'm getting a quality wine made with quality fruit. And typically these reds show off the essence of the Walla Walla Valley - - dark dried fruits, especially cherry. These wines are earthy and with the right elements, they can be cellared for about five years. And at $21, how can you beat the price for such quality?

It's a well kept secret!

Recently, the good PR folks from The Wines of Chile (@RobBralow) sent me a surprise box of wine samples. In this box, held a treat for the sense, and an 89 pointer. Ok fine, really it was 88 points by the Spectator but it was voted a Best Buy.

The 2006 Viu Secreto Malbec hails from the Colchagua Valley region of Chile. The Colchagua Valley lies about 80 miles southwest of Santiago, and has a moderate climate. It has often been compared to Napa in many ways, but I bet you won't find a Napa Malbec at this price point!

This Malbec is priced at a fighting $10-15, and is worth every penny in my opinion. I immediately smell a smokey richness, with fennel and herbs. It is a rich and chewy wine, which one would expect in the over $20 category, but is a treat at this price point. On the palate, there is heavy plum and herb, with an earthy richness. I also taste lavendar and a nice pepper overtone.

Chile has become my go to region for budget minded wines. I have personally tasted several Cabernet blends that are priced around $10 and are a STEAL. Particular varietals that do well in Chile are Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Sauvingnon Blanc. I'm still exploring other varietals, so please stay tuned!

Walk, don't run to your local shop for this gem!

Cross posted to Luscious Lushes

Value Alert: 2007 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec

This is a cross-post from The Wellesley Wine Press. This wine received 89 points from The Wine Advocate.

Whenever a wine publication produces a list of wines that includes "top" wines -and- "value" wines, I always look for the value wine that sneaks into the list of top wines in spite of its lower price. This week's WWP Value Alert highlights one of those wines, the 2007 Altos Los Hormigas Malbec from Argentina.

I first heard of this wine from a piece in the Wall Street Journal. They tasted Malbecs ranging from $10 to $25 and this Altos Las Hormigas (at $10.99) was their favorite irrespective of price. Wine Spectator also thought highly of this one, rating it 87 points.

I had a bottle of this recently and was really pleased with it- absolutely delicious:

2007 Altos Las Hormigas Malbec - Argentina, Mendoza (2/28/2009)
Wow! Very nice. 91 the first night, 88 the second. Very impressive QPR here- will buy again. (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Where to find it:

• Hingham Wine Merchant in Hingham, MA
  
• Blanchards in West Roxbury, MA
• Winestone in Brookline, MA
• Others? Leave a comment below and I'll add it to the list.

If Malbec is not your thing, you might be interested in this 92-point, $12 Italian red. Willing to spend a little more? Perhaps this 93-point, sub-$20 California Zinfandel would be interesting to you. If you prefer white wines, then maybe this excellent $10 domestic Riesling would hit the spot.

Do you like hearing about incredible quality-to-price ratio wines like these? If so, please consider subscribing to the Wellesley Wine Press so you'll never miss an update.

Question of the Day: Have you tried this one? If so, what did you think? If not, what are some of your favorite Aregentinian Malbecs?