Month: May 2025

Dablon Winery’s 2018 Malbec: A Michigan Gem

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Maker: Dablon Winery & Vineyards, Baroda, Michigan, USA.

Grape: Malbec (at least 85%)

Place of origin: Dablon Estate, Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Michigan, USA

Vintage: 2018

ABV: 11.7%

Purchased for $30 with wine club discount. Originally $38.

Appearance: Brick red.

Nose: Blackberry jam, black currant.

Palate: Dry, but fruity. Mixed berry pie, cherries, fruit punch, French oak.

Finish: Tannic, but then tart with a splash of fruit.

Parting words: Malbec is Merlot and Cabernet Franc’s spicy cousin who moved to South America a while back. It’s grown in Michigan more frequently than it was when I first started exploring the wine, but it’s still not as common as its cousins here. Most of it is in the Lake Michigan Shore appellation, but Verterra in Leelanau also grows some. Judging by this post on their website, they may not be growing it for much longer, though.

Vintage matters a lot in a place like Michigan, with big temperature swings throughout and across the years. It’s a tribute to the skill of winemaker Rudy Shaefer and his crew that Dablon continues to deliver consistently high quality wines, even in less than stellar vintages with grapes that are not commonly grown in the area.

This wine is a great example of that. It Malbec’s classic rusticity, but balanced with fruit and acid. The combination makes it a great table wine. Liz and I had some a couple nights ago with grilled ribeye topped with homemade chimichurri. Dablon’s 2018 Malbec is recommended!

Knob Creek Single Barrel Review: Holiday Market Selection

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Maker: Jim Beam, Claremont, Kentucky, USA (Suntory)

Bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel, Holiday Market selection.

Style: Rye recipe Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Age: 9ish years old (barreled 4/15, selected 9/24)

Proof: 120 (60% ABV)

Michigan state minimum: $65

Tasted with a splash of water.

Appearance: Medium gold.

Nose: Cut lumber, Beam yeast.

Palate: Sawdust, street corn, green chili.

Finish: Char, brown sugar.

Parting words: Knob Creek Single Barrel is one of my most reviewed bourbons. I reviewed the Georgia Bourbon Society pick I helped select here, and here’s a goofy video review from me and friend of the blog Amy. I review it a lot because I’m a big fan of Knob Creek in general, and barrel selections are a fun way to explore the multitudes that KC contains.

This one was good, but like most Holiday Market selections, it is a good example of itself, but it doesn’t really offer anything new. There’s little difference between this and the median bottle of a non-select KCSB. The Beam funk is maybe a little more prominent, but that might very well be the state of my palate. It’s far from bad, just a little disappointing. Still, it’s better than a dozen other bourbons at that price point. Knob Creek Single Barrel, Holiday Market Selection (9/24) is recommended.