Maker: Black Star Farms, Traverse City, Michigan, USA
Place of origin: Leorie, Montague Estate, Capella vineyards, Old Mission Peninsula AVA, Traverse City, Michigan, USA
ABV: 12%
Price: $19 (website, 2013 vintage)
Appearance: medium gold
Nose: Canned peach syrup, freshly opened can of mandarin oranges, almonds, dried herbs de Provence.
Palate: Very mild. Faint tang then abruptly shifts to a bitter herbal taste, like ripped sage leaves.
Finish: Similar to the palate, but even fainter. Fades quickly.
Parting words: This is a cautionary tale, my friends. According to Cellartracker, I bought this wine last June at the winery. I don’t remember going to Black Star Farms last June, but I was in northern Michigan last summer so it’s entirely possible that I did. I wish I had opened it that summer instead of waiting until today. The 2012 vintage was not a consistently good one for Michigan Riesling and dry Rieslings often don’t age as well as late harvest ones. Those two combined with possible poor storage on my part may have doomed this poor wine. It’s not undrinkable, mind you, just fallen apart. I’m sure it was better a year ago, but as it is right now, Arcturos Dry Riesling, 2012 is not recommended.
Sipology 