Clauren Ridge Vineyards & Winery is hidden in Edmund, Oklahoma. Truthfully it’s 24 minutes up Hwy 74 from Oklahoma City, but you feel like you’re in the country.
They were busy when we arrived and busy when we left, but the patio was a pleasant place to enjoy two wine flights. In this post I’ll share about the white flight and in the next I’ll share about the red. You can read more about their venue and offerings on their website.
Chardonnay
Their Notes: Soft and oaked with strong vanilla finish. This one is a crowd pleaser.
My Notes: I wondered if this was a chardonnay aged in steel, but their notes say it’s oaked. It had a very bright fruit scent like lemon – but not a harsh lemon, more like a sweet lemon. (Think candle, not cleaner.) I got warm apple crisp when I tasted it, which is what was bringing the vanilla out. It was creamy without being overly buttery. It’s a good mid-week wine, but I’m not sure it’s a good wine for a party.
Vidal
Their Notes: This complex, yet effortless dry white has notes of citrus and melon.
My Notes: Crisp bright scent of pear. It smelt green. The best word I could come up to describe it was celery after I tasted it – since celery is both salty and sweet. But I got a flavor of overripe green pear, and the more time I let it breathe the more the pear flavor came out for me. It has a finish of overripe honeydew melon to me. Good wine, just not one of my favorites. However, I can see how this would go well with a Waldorf Salad.
Pino Gris
Their Notes: Balanced and smooth with citrus and a slight oak finish.
My Notes: This did not have a pleasant nose to me. It was a combination of acrid, rotten and petroleum. Which I know is not a very nice thing to say about a wine, but bless it’s heart, it tastes a lot better than it smells. It still had a bit of an acrid aftertaste to me, but that didn’t keep me from buying a bottle. I prefer it more on the room temperature side than cold. So this will pair well with chicken enchilada casserole with green chili sauce.
Synfully Sweet White
Their Notes: Very sweet, mellow with fruit flavor and a rose aroma.
My Notes: As I’ve mentioned before, I don’t really read the tasting notes as I don’t want to be influenced – so imagine my surprise when I see my notes say it has the aroma of overripe roses. I don’t think that’s what they were going for, but it’s what hit my nose. The flavor is soft, sweet, with a touch of starch (flour, etc). My tasting companion likened it to the flavor of “crushed up sprees.”
It’s a porch pounder that went well with the deep fried ravioli.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t try the Synfully Sweet Mango, Synfully Sweet Peach Watermelon or the Pumpkin Spice Wine. Which is probably a good thing. I wasn’t too keen on their sweet wine.
However, overall I’d give the whites a good solid rating of Monday to Wednesday, with the exception of the porch pounder. Honestly, this flight reminded me of where Texas was with wine 10-years ago. There is so much potential, but it hasn’t quite matured enough. BUT if I find myself in Oklahoma City again, I will visit them again.
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