Category: Wine

Arcturos Pinot Blanc

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Maker: Black Star Farms, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Place of origin: Montaña Rusa, Capella and Montague vinyards, Old Mission AVA, Michigan, USA

Vintage: 2011

ABV: 12%

Appearance: pale gold.

Nose: Tangerine, apricot, Meyer lemon.

On the palate: Medium bodied and velvety. A bit of smoke, but not overpowering. Canned pear, ripe peach, golden delicious apple. Never overly tart or citric, though. Perfectly balanced.

Finish: Pink Grapefruit, bartlett pear, but, again, easy going and elegant.

Parting words:  According to the label Pinot Blanc from these vineyards usually gets blended into BSF’s sparkling wines, but the 2011 vintage was so outstanding they decided to bottle it as a varietal. It is a fantastic wine. Elegant and balanced, but never boring. Plenty of terroir tartness, but never overwhelming or pucker-inducing. Dry but highly aromatic and fruity. I just can’t say enough about this wine. It’s a very limited bottling that I received as a member of their wine club. The information that actually came with the package had a different wine listed, but I thank Bacchus that I got this one instead.  Arcturos Pinot Blanc 2011 is worth seeking out and highly recommended.

Shady Lane Cellars Gewürztraminer

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Maker: Shady Lane, Sutton’s Bay, Michigan, USA

Place of origin: Leelanau Peninsula AVA, Michigan, USA

Vintage: 2009

ABV: 11.9%

Notes: Estate grown. Wine was tasted two days after opening.

Nose: Crisp semi-tart apples, ripe apricot.

On the palate: Medium-bodied and dry. Oak, breadfruit, curry powder, peach, melon.

Finish: Fairly dry without much fruit. Lasts a good length of time.

Parting words: Shady Lane Gewürz is very well done. It has the spice and dryness one expects from a Gewürztraminer, with the crisp fruit typical of Michigan whites. Even at three years old, and being open for two days (with a stopper in the fridge of course) it wasn’t flabby or tired. Went very well with herb-roasted chicken according to the wife.  This was my first Shady Lane wine and I am sure it won’t be my last. Shady Lane Cellars Gewürztraminer 2009 is recommended.

2 Lads Rosé of Cabernet Franc

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Maker: 2 Lads, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Place of origin: Old Mission AVA, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Vintage: 2011 (different vintage pictured)

ABV: 13%

Appearance: Pomegranate-colored

Nose: Dry, grapey, bit of toasted oak, bit of tobacco.

On the palate: Dry with some underlying sweetness, ripe plum, red raspberry jam, wild blackberry, oak.

Finish: Dry with lots of wood, but not unpleasant. Paired with food, the finish is more balanced.

Parting words: This is another “serious” rosé from a serious (but not stuffy) winery on Old Mission. 2 Lads is a relative newcomer, but they have quickly become one of the best. It’s great with food and on its own with plenty of varietal and terroir character. The 2011 vintage was very good all through Michigan. If this is any indication of what the rest of that vintage has in store, I am very excited. 2 Lads Rosé is recommended.

Arcturos Pinot Noir

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Maker: Black Star Farms, Sutton’s Bay, Michigan, USA

Grape: Pinot Noir

Place of Origin: 53% Grand Traverse County, 47% Leelanau County, Michigan, USA

Vintage: 2010

ABV: 12%

Appearance: Reddish burgundy.

Nose: Cherry preserves, oak, clove, glazed ham. Gets drier as it breathes.

On the palate: Medium bodied. Subtle but fairly complex. Slightly tangy, with more cherry and oak. Black pepper, leather, hint of cedar.

Finish: Oak with stronger cedar notes. Fades to a slightly tannic fruity tang.

Parting words: This is a very well-executed Pinot. It’s well-balanced but interesting. The oak and spice balances out the fruitiness of the grape. It also avoids the cedar notes that can overwhelm some Michigan reds. The blend of Grand Traverse and Leelanau grapes strikes an excellent balance. According to the BSF website this wine would benefit from up to ten years in the cellar, but I couldn’t wait. Goes well with food, but the spice and oak may be lost in the shuffle. It is perfect for a contemplative autumn afternoon. Recommended.

Pelee Island Winery Pinot Gris

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Maker: Pelee Island Winery

Place of origin: Pelee Island VQA, Ontario, Canda

Vintage: 2008

Style: Late Harvest

ABV: 13.5%

Appearance: Light gold with thick, sparse legs.

Nose: Dry and mild. Light smoke, heirloom apples.

On the palate: Medium bodied. Slightly smokey and oaky. A bit of fruit with lychee and dry apple cider.

Finish: Woody and smoky but well balanced.

Parting Words: I was pleasantly surprised by this wine. The smoke (and spelling) of this wine invoke Alsace, but it’s  drier with less fruit than most Alsatian Pinot Gris I’ve had, belying its late harvest status.

After tasting a couple of Pelee Island’s high end wines on my last trip to their tasting room (in Kingsville, not on the island itself) I had low expectations for this one. But this Pinot Gris is top notch.

Highly recommended.

Left Foot Charley 2010 Riesling- Dry

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Maker: Left Foot Charley, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Grape: Riesling

Style: Dry

Place of origin: The Terminal Moraine, Old Mission Peninsula AVA, Traverse City, Michigan

Vintage: 2010

Notes: Single vineyard, estate wine. Harvested 10/12/10. 22 Brix at harvest. pH 3.00, TA (?) 8g/L, 1% residual sugar.

ABV: 12.1%

Appearance: Pearly straw.

Nose: Dry but fruity. Under ripe peach, lychee, gravel, fresh squeezed orange juice.

On the palate: Medium bodied and slightly citric. Meyer lemon, lemon thyme, limestone, peach. Shades of Pfalz.

Finish: A little citric, a little sweet, but mostly dry and mineral.

Parting Words: Old Mission Peninsula is currently producing the best Rieslings in Eastern North America. Old Mission can more than hold their own against Rieslings from California and the Pacific Northwest. Left Foot Charley is one of the wineries leading the pack. Their grapes come from Old Mission, but their winery is on the campus of a former insane asylum (no joke!) in Traverse City proper. Don’t let that or the silly name scare you, LFC makes world class wines and ciders of all styles, often with price tags to match.

This wine is described as dry on the label, and it is that, but the label gets a little defensive of the wine’s statistical claim to be dry. Too much math for me, but on the first sip I was instantly reminded of dry Central European Riesling. It is not the bone-chilling dry of an Austrian Riesling but it has a bracing minerality that one does not expect from Michigan. It goes well with food (had mine with grilled sea scallops) but you may find yourself distracted by the wine. Left Foot Charley’s 2010 Dry Riesling is highly recommended.

Arcturos Pinot Noir Rosé

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Maker: Black Star Farms, Old Mission, Traverse City, Michigan

Grape: Pinot Noir

Region: Montaña Rusa  & Capella, Old Mission AVA, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Vintage: 2011

ABV: 12%

Appearance:  Pale, grayish pink.

Nose: Dry. Cedar, peach, thyme, heather.

On the palate: Dry and refreshing. Cedar chips, sweet woodruff, pluot plum, rosemary.

Finish: Clean and, surprise, dry. Slightly sweet and tangy, then fading quickly.

Parting words: Rosé still has a bad reputation among some casual wine drinkers. Sticky sweet white Zinfindel comes to mind. That attitude is starting to change, though, and “serious” rosé like this are leading the way.

What makes this wine serious? First of all, its dryness. This is not a pop wine, this is a mealtime wine. Grilled pork or turkey, not potato chips. Second, connected with its dryness, is its ABV. 12% is an alcohol level that demands attention. Third, and most important, is its character. It is full of varietal and terroir distinctiveness. The cedar/rosemary notes are, in my mind, the hallmarks of fine Northern Michigan red wine (and well-made pinks!). This wine is not the product of a single-vineyard but of two, Capella and Montaña Rusa, both on Old Mission Peninsula. The label touts this as a summertime red wine alternative. It is that, but it deserves to be considered on its own merits as a legitimate style of Pinot Noir.

Anyway, I could go on and on, but I won’t. Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Noir Rosé is highly recommended.

Georges Buthet & Fils Fendant 2008

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Maker: Georges Buthet & Fils, Valais, Switzerland.

Grape: Fendant (Chasselas Blanc)

Region: Vétroz ,Valais ROC, Valais Canton, Switzerland

Vintage: 2008

ABV: 11.4%

Appearance: Straw. Not much in the way of a robe.

Nose: Surprisingly fruity. Pineapple, mango, ripe peach, apricot.

On the palate: On first open, much more fruit forward than I was expecting. The nose definitely followed through on the palate. After a couple days chilling in the fridge, it has become drier. Still some tropical fruit, but balanced with a flinty taste I would expect in an Alpine wine.

Finish:  The finish is quite dry. Maybe a little grapefruit, but not much else in the way of fruit. A vegetal note creeps in at the end, like thyme.

Parting words: This is the first Swiss wine I’ve purchased or even tasted for that matter. The Swiss produce a lot of wine, but they drink even more. As a result, not much Swiss wine makes its way out of the country.

All that to say that I don’t have any knowledge of other Swiss whites to which to compare to this one. The fruit in this bottle was a pleasant surprise. It is easy drinking and goes pretty well with a meal but would probably work better with an afternoon snack of crackers, fruit and mild cheese on a warm afternoon. The fact that this wine is still very drinkable at a relatively advanced age is a testament to something. The grape? The winemaker? The vintage? If I knew more about Swiss wine I might be able to pin it down. As a bonus, the label is very artsy and attractive too. Georges Buthet & Fils 2008 Fendant is recommended.

Lot 49 Riesling

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Maker: Chateau Grant Traverse, Old Mission Peninsula, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Grape: Riesling

Region: Old Mission AVA, Michigan, USA (estate grown, product of one particular block of vineyard)

Vintage: 2010

ABV: 13%

Appearance: Pale straw.

Nose: Honeyed pear, ripe peach, citrus blossom, lemon thyme.

On the palate: Full-bodied. Rock candy, bartlett pear, crème brûlée, white mulberry.

Finish: Meyer lemon, grilled peach, angelica.

Parting words: Chateau Grand Traverse is something of a paradox. Their tasting room is a poorly organized mess reminiscent of the gift shop portion of a Cracker Barrel restaurant. They also produce a line of serviceable supermarket-quality varietals. But there’s the other side of  CGT. They are one of the most creative and ambitious producers in Michigan. They produce a Grüner Veltliner , a white Pinot, a whole-cluster Riesling, a botrytized Riesling, an Alsatian Pinot Blanc style white, a reserve Gamay, the list goes on. They are even set to issue a limited release of estate-grown AlbariñoCached – SimilarYou +1’d this publicly. Undo. And unlike some of their peers, at least 9/10 times they accomplish what they set out to do.

This Riesling is a classic example of the ambitious side of CGT. It comes across as a little shy at first, but still waters run deep. Like that quiet girl you sat behind in math class, Lot 49 has hidden depths and subtle complexities. This is a thinking person’s Riesling, not a summer afternoon chug-a-lug Riesling. It got a very flattering write-up on Jancis Robinson’s website and rightfully so. Lot 49 is highly recommended.

Umbrella Gewurztraminer-Riesling

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Umbrella Gewurztraminer-Riesling

Maker: Pelee Island, Kingsville, Ontario, Canada

Gapes: Gewurztraminer (50%), Riesling (50%)

Region: Ontario VQA, Canada

Vintage: 2010

ABV: 12.5%

Appearance: Light gold. Thick, sticky robe.

Nose: Ripe peaches, tangerine, coriander, pineapple

On the palate: Medium-bodied & fairly dry. Lemon thyme, Meyer lemon, white pepper.

Finish: slightly citric & vegetal. fades fairly quickly.

Parting words: Umbrella Gewurztraminer-Riesling is a relative newcomer to the Pelee Island stable, but it’s a very good one. Both these grapes do very well in NE wine belt stretching from Michigan’s west coast through southern Ontario into upstate New York. The mix of grapes may bring Alsace to mind, but this wine is all North American on the palate and in the nose. Crisp peach and citrus notes make this a very refreshing drink when chilled, but one with enough interest to appeal to serious wine lovers, at least ones that aren’t put off by the very concept of Canadian wine. If they are, that’s more for you! Umbrella Gewurztraminer-Riesling is recommended.