Maker: Dablon Vineyards, Baroda, Michigan, USA
Place of origin: Moraine (now Dablon) estate, Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Michigan, USA
Style: Unoaked, dry Chardonnay.
Vintage: 2012
ABV: 13.1%
Price: $20 (winery)
Appearance: Light gold.
Nose: Tangerine, brown butter, peach, mango, minerals.
Palate: Dry. Butter, melon, mineral water, banana.
Finish: Bitter butter batter, gravel dust.
Parting words: 2012 is a vintage best known for its excellent reds in LMS and the northern Michigan AVAs. The whites I’ve had from 2012 have been inconsistent, even from large producers. I tasted this wine at the Dablon tasting room and I was pleasantly surprised.
Moraine Vineyards Chardonnay is unusual for Michigan. The unoaked ones tend to be round, fruity and mild but Moraine is boldly dry, even drier than its ABV would suggest. It’s more like a Chablis or Mâconnais than a typical Michigan Chard. Fatty fish or creamy cheese would be excellent pairings, but chicken and pork chops would work too. I really enjoyed this wine. Worth the money and then some. 2012 Moraine Vineyards Chardonnay is highly recommended.
Sipology 