Maker: Bowers Harbor, Traverse City, Michigan
Grapes: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, various red French hybrids.
Place of origin: Michigan, USA
ABV: 12%
Purchased for $13
Appearance: Pale ruby.
Nose: Mixed berry jam, white pepper, touch of oak.
Palate: Medium bodied and medium dry. Strawberries, sweet cherries, blackberries, oak.
Finish: Drying with black cherry and blueberry jam. Fading into chewy tannins.
Parting words: I picked up this wine a few days ago while looking for an easy-drinking, casual table wine for a cookout I have annually. I bought the wrong thing, but in a good way.
The words “table wine” on the label threw me off. This is a table wine in the sense of a wine that goes well with fine food, not in the sense of a cheap wine to drink on a weeknight or serve at a party with people who don’t care about wine.
Bower’s Harbor Red is actually their (successful) stab at a Bordeaux/Meritage style blend. It has everything one expects in a blend like this, even though it is a little fruit heavy at this stage. That get me to the only negative thing in the review. Not enough time in the bottle. If I had done a little research in the store, I might have let this one sit in the cellar for a few years before cracking it.
Even at this age, Bower’s Harbor Red 2013 is recommended.
Sipology 