C= 2016 Sandhill Crane Merlot
L= 2016 Shady Lane Merlot
Makers
C: Sandhill Crane Vineyards, Jackson, Michigan, USA
L: Shady Lane Cellars, Suttons Bay, Michigan, USA
Grapes
C: Merlot (at least 75%)
L: Merlot (at least 85%)
Places of origin
C: Michigan (at least 75%)
L: Shady Lane Estate, Leelanau Peninsula AVA, Michigan, USA (at least 85%)
Vintage: 2016
ABV
C: 13.7%
L: 12%
Purchased for
C: $25 (Michigan by the Bottle Tasting Room, Royal Oak)
L: $26 (Michigan by the Bottle Tasting Room, Auburn Hills)
Appearance
C: Translucent ruby, almost like a Pinot Noir.
L: Darker, more purplish.
Nose
C: Cedar, blueberry, oak.
L: Cherry jam, Hawaiian Punch, white pepper.
Palate
C: Tart. Black currant, smoked ham.
L: More balanced and better integrated. Oak, BEAR jam, clove.
Finish
C: HiC, oak. Fades quickly.
L: More harmonic. Blackberry, oak, nutmeg.
Parting words: Merlot is a grape that, if it gets ripe, can produce wonderful Michigan wines. In some years that’s a big IF, but 2016 was not one of those years, to the relief of vineyard owners who had just come off two Polar Vortex years in 2014 and 2015. 2016 was hot by Michigan standards, and the wines of that year are generally full of ripe fruit flavors. These two wines are great examples of that.
I tasted these two with a meal shared with friends-of-the-blog Amy and Pete. The dish was potato chorizo tacos (one of my favorites) made with my own homemade chorizo. Both of these wines performed well, and easily stood up to spiciness of the sausage and earthiness of the potatoes.
All of us agreed that Shady Lane was the superior of the two wines. There was nothing unpleasant about Sandhill Crane Merlot, but it lacked the depth and integration of flavor Shady Lane had. I would classify Sandhill as a good BBQ wine and Shady Lane more of a steak dinner wine. I was surprised when I saw there was only a dollar difference between the two, but there’s no need to make the great the enemy of the good, so to speak. Sandhill Crane Merlot is worth the price, it’s just that Shady Lane is worth much more than its price. Both Sandhill Crane and Shady Lane 2016 Merlots are recommended.
Sipology 