Maker: Bel Lago, Lake Leelanau, Michigan, USA
Grape: Pinot Gris/Grigio
Style: Rosé
Place of origin: Leelanau Peninsula AVA, Michigan, USA
Vintage: 2017
ABV: 13.6%
Price: $8 (Michigan by the Bottle Tasting Room, Royal Oak)
Appearance: Bright, translucent pink.
Nose: Hi-C Fruit Punch, cedar.
Palate: Mild, but full-bodied. Mulberrry, light oak.
Finish: Light and a little chewy.
Parting words: I like it when Michigan wineries make wines that aren’t the usual varietals or styles that every other winery makes. I can’t think of another winery off the top of my head that makes a rosé from Pinot Gris.
This may be obvious, but this wine tastes like a Pinot gris-ish rosé. It’s more subtle than most of the Pinot Noir rosés I’ve had, but a little subtlety can be good in these topsy-turvy times.
OK, sorry about that. I really like this wine. If I have a complaint, and I do, it’s that like the Bel Lago sparkling Auxerrois I reviewed recently, this elegant wine comes in a bottle with a janky label. Bel Lago generally has good-looking, well-designed labels. I’m not sure why these two don’t.
Anyway, 2017 Bel Lago Rosé de Gris is recommended.
Sipology 