Maker: Chateau Aeronautique, Jackson, Michigan, USA.
Place of origin: Michigan (Pioneer wine trail)
Vintage: 2010
ABV: Unknown
Price: Unknown
Appearance: Light maroon with good sized, evenly spaced legs.
Nose: Oak, leather, black currant, blueberry, ground pink peppercorn, raspberry.
Palate: Medium bodied. Blackberries, leather, hint of roasted poblano pepper.
Finish: Light but long lasting. White pepper, oak, bell pepper.
Parting words: Chateau Aeronautique Winery is located in an air park near Jackson, close to Sandhill Crane Wineyards. Their stated aim is to produce Bordeaux-style wines but they also produce wines from a lot of the usual Michigan suspects like Reisling, Pino Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Their Bordeaux style blends, Aviatrix Rouge and Crimson (a “right bank” style blend), are probably their best. They also do a good Syrah, quite a rare bird in Michigan. Cab Franc is much more common here and it features prominently in the Rouge. They use Michigan grapes exclusively.
This is one that has been sitting in my cellar for a little while and I think that time paid off. We had it with a meal of cheese ravioli and tomato sauce and it paired perfectly. Meat-filled ravioli might pair even better. As it sat, it tended to lean more to the peppery notes, but it never went off the deep end. This is a lighter style Cab Franc, though, so don’t go in expecting a bruiser. Michigan producers who can make a quality red like this get me excited at this state’s potential for Bordeaux varietals. Chateau Aeronautique’s 2010 Cabernet Franc is recommended.
Sipology 