Maker: Mari Vineyards, Traverse City, Michigan, USA
Grapes: 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Teroldego, 10% Merlot
Place of origin: Mari Vineyards Estate, Old Mission Peninsula AVA, Traverse City, Michigan, USA
Style: Dry red blend.
Vintage: 2017
ABV: 13%
Purchased for $26 (Red Wagon, Rochester Hills)
Appearance: Slightly overdone fruit of the forest pie.
Palate: Medium bodied. Wild blackberry, black currant, clove, a little smoke.
Finish: Medium chewy, a little acid, a little fruit.
Parting words: Teroldego is a grape grown mostly in the Alpine vineyard areas of Northern Italy. It produces wines that are sometimes compared to Zinfindel, but it also bears more than a passing resemblance to its nephew Syrah. I don’t know how much Teroldego is grown in Michigan, but I’m guessing that it’s not a lot. I don’t know enough to say whether it should be grown more widely in Michigan, but I do like it in this blend. It brings a spicy, tarry (in a good way) punch to this wine that makes it food-friendly and well-rounded. For a grape this rare, and a wine this good, $26 is more than fair. Troglodyte Rosso is recommended.
Sipology 