It occurs to me that fruit wines don’t always get the respect they deserve, although in many cases there may well be good reason.
However, a consistent and prolific exception is Elephant Island Orchard Wines who make a remarkable array of both orchard fruit and grape wines, as well as a few other things. Even though B.C.’s fruit wine industry continues to spawn wineries in some remarkable places (one of the newest is in Prince George) few display the range and depth offered by this quality-driven Naramata producer, which depends very much on its own, home-grown fruit.
The latest to cross my palate had me rushing for my gold star stickers: Elephant Island Framboise 2014.
Slightly fortified, at just 16 per cent, this qualifies as a dessert wine and it’s a real treat. Remarkable, pure and unadulterated raspberry, with that perfect edge of tartness for added authenticity, it’s bursting with intensity and juicy acidity for a powerful, long-lasting aftertaste. You could add it to sparkling wine, splash some over ice cream, or pair it with a dark chocolate tart.
Then again, you could also just sip it in front of a fire ($18.99, 92 points).
Not to be overlooked are the grape wines, including the following:
I Told You So Viognier 2014: Lifted orange, peach and floral notes before a fleshy and quite viscous, generous palate with tropical and spicy notes wrapped in juicy acidity, with an assist from a splash of Sauvignon Blanc ($20, 91 points). Think sautéed scallops with a dash of orange butter. A rising star in the South Okanagan, another winery that continues to impress is Maverick Estate, which has just released its first Syrah. The Rhone variety is proving to be a winner for the folks in the Okanagan who know how to do it right, and that would now very definitely include Bertus Albertyn at Maverick.
Maverick Syrah 2013 (South Okanagan): I love the way that B.C. winemakers are shaping their own destiny when it comes to Syrah, looking for a path that’s not inclined towards more extracted “Shiraz” styles, though still quite generous.
Case in point, this varietally correct, very expressive and well-balanced wine, with black pepper and olive notes wrapped in red berries and raspberry tones on the plush palate, with just a hint of meatiness and herbal touch with good fruit-acid balance, supple tannins and a long, peppery end ($32, 92 points).
Still in B.C., I love being reminded of the wines that really put the Okanagan on the map, and one of them was surely Tinhorn Creek’s Gewurztraminer. Back in the day, hard to believe now, perhaps, but before we got all hot and sweaty about Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer (along with Pinot Blanc) was one of the most widely made and successful varieties.
Tinhorn Creek Gewurztraminer 2014: This really is a great reminder of the wine (along with Merlot) that first put Tinhorn on the map. It has that classic rose petal that you hope for in the aroma, along with tropical notes, followed by a lush palate of lychee and ginger spice, and a touch of citrus and a spicy hint to close (BCLS $15.99, 92 points). Think spicier plates.
Tim Pawsey writes about wine for numerous publications and online as the Hired Belly at hiredbelly.com. He can be reached via email at [email protected].
