(pictured: Winemaker Anthony Buchanan & Trina Estin)
Something is a little different at Eau Vivre this season. Beginning with their recently released whites, they will be unveiling a new brand for their bottles. The elegant, scripted initials remain from the original branding but in a clear and precise presentation that will make their bottles stand out beautifully on the shelves. The first wines to adorn the new image are the whites – the Cinq Blanc, the new Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Gewürztraminer. The second vintage of the Cinq Blanc, the ultimate summer wine, shows incredible Waldorf fruit salad aromas with a healthy dose of white peaches thanks to this year’s higher Viognier content in the blend. The debut vintage of Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and refreshing with aromas and flavours of Granny Smith apples, minerals, flowers, herbs, and stone fruits.
The Riesling is off-dry but well balanced with beautiful apples and floral notes all over it. The Gewürztraminer shows lychee, rose petals, perfume, and grassy notes but unlike other examples of this varietal, no particular aroma is dominant or overbearing which creates a beautiful and complex set of flavours that makes this wine exceptionally enjoyable. As the summer progresses, the reds will be released under the new branding as well. Winemaker Anthony Buchanan is particularly enamored with the forthcoming 2012 Cabernet Franc.
“This is the best Cab Franc we have ever done,” says Anthony. “It’s just deadly.” With a nose of blueberries, black tea, and graphite and a palate of cherries, baking spices, and tealeaves, it is a complex wine not to be missed. Expect the 2012 Malbec to join the portfolio this summer along with the next vintage of the Buddhafull when it is deemed ready.
~ Luke Whittall