Tag: red wine

Dablon Winery’s 2018 Malbec: A Michigan Gem

JoshLeave a comment

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!

Rockway Gamay Noir, 2019

JoshLeave a comment

Maker: Rockway Vineyards, St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada.

Grape: Gamay.

Place of origin: Niagara Peninsula VQA, Ontario, Canada.

Vintage: 2019

ABV: 12%

Purchased for CA $19 ($14 US)

Appearance: Dark ruby.

Nose: Fruit punch, allspice, a little toasted oak.

Palate: Medium bodied. Black raspberry, blueberry, cherry juice, leather.

Finish: Tart and a little tannic.

Parting words: This the third of the Rockway label wines I’ve reviewed, and the last one left in my cellar (not including my bottle of When Pigs Fly Pinot Noir from friend of the blog André Proulx & friends). For my review of Rockway’s 2017 Alter Ego Syrah and a brief account of our visit to the winery, click here. For my review of their 2018 Small Lot Riesling, click here, and click here for my review of the 2021 When Pigs Fly rosé of Pinot Noir.

At any rate, this wine is a good example of an Ontario-style Gamay. It’s got dark berries, spice, and a little oak. It’s closer to Juliénas or Régnié than the lighter, more acidic style of Gamay produced by makers in Northwestern Michigan. Some Ontarian Gamays can lean too far into oak and spice, but this one preserves that character while maintaining a healthy balance.

At any rate $19/$14 is a very good price for this wine. If you find yourself in St. Catherines, pick up a bottle. 2019 Rockway Gamay Noir is recommended.

2013 Cadia: Gill’s Pier

Josh1 Comment

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

Grower: Gill’s Pier, Northport, Michigan, USA

Grapes: 53% Merlot, 47% Cabernet Franc. Field blend.

Place of origin: Gill’s Pier estate, Leelanau Peninsula AVA, Northport, Michigan, USA.

Vintage: 2013 (final year for Gill’s Pier)

ABV: 12.5%

Purchased for $33 (Holiday Market)

Appearance: Dark purple.

Nose: Blackberry, blueberry, amaretto, tiny bit of oak.

Palate: Medium bodied. Dry with fruit jam. with some tannic grip on the back end.

Finish: Light, drying. Acid and oak.

Parting words: My first review of 2013 Gill’s Pier Cadia was a video review back in April of 2020. I liked it then and I like it now even more! Bottle aging has mellowed the tannins even further, allowing the fruit to become even more prominent, and the wine even more balanced. There were clear changes to the wine over three years, despite it being under a screw cap. This puts to rest any doubt in my mind as to whether screw top wine ages in the bottle or not. It clearly does.

Sadly, Gill’s Pier is now an alpaca and yak (!) farm, but I do still have a couple more bottles from them to taste as a part of the 2012 Project. I had planned for the project to wrap up around now, but 2023 was a very busy year for a variety of reasons, so I’m behind. Never fear, though, we will finish the project in 2024!

Left Foot Charley’s 2013 Gill’s Pier Cadia is recommended.

Dablon Estate Red, 2017

JoshLeave a comment

Dablon Estate Red Blend 2017

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

Grapes: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot (per winemaker Rudy Shafer).

Place of origin: Dablon estate, Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Michigan, USA.

Vinatge: 2017

ABV: 13.1%

Price: $50 (2018 vintage website price)

Appearance: Dark ruby.

Nose: Cherry Jam, blueberry, sweet roasted red pepper.

Palate: Dry, reticent. White mulberry, mace, leather.

Finish: Jammy, but with grip.

Parting words: I have a good number of wines in my cellar currently, and I don’t always remember where or when I got them. Cellar tracker is helpful in this regard, but I don’t always check it before I pop a cork. I remember seeing it on a rack in one of the long term areas of my cellar and thinking, “This blend looks like it would hit the spot! I wonder why it was here?” As soon as I took a sip of it, I realized why it was there.

Although this wine is perfectly suitable for drinking any day of the week, Estate Red is not your average weeknight blend. It’s a fine, age-worthy Bordeaux style blend. It was very good at six years old, but I found myself wishing it had stayed in that place in my cellar a little longer to develop even more complexity and depth. Oh well, live and learn!

Even at a mere (!) six years old, this is a very good wine that is worth seeking out. 2017 was an excellent vintage, but so was 2020. When that one comes out, or if you manage to fine a 2017 on the shelf, I recommend that you buy it!

Nathaniel Rose Left Bank, 2012

JoshLeave a comment

Maker: Nathaniel Rose, Suttons Bay, Michigan, USA.

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), Merlot (12%), Cabernet Franc (3%).

Place of Origin: Abigail’s Vineyard, Domaine Berrien Estate, Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA.

Vintage: 2012

ABV: 13.6%

Purchased for $120 with trade discount from winery. Original price $150.

Notes: 20 months in French oak. 82 cases produced.

Reviewed as a part of The 2012 project.

Appearance: Brick red.

Nose: Fruit of the forest pie, clove, oak.

Palate: Dry, chewy, and a little tart. Blueberry, wild blackberry, leather.

Finish: Tart, but with a tannic backbone.

Parting words: This was the wine that this whole 2012 Project was all about. OK, that’s a slight exaggeration, but it’s not too far from the truth. It’s the bottle I’ve looked forward to opening the most, and it did not disappoint.

Abigail’s vineyard is named for Abigail Fricke, mother to Katie Mauer, co-founder (with husband Wally) of Domain Berrien. As long-time readers will know, Domaine Berrien is known one of the premier producers of red wine in the state of Michigan. A big part of their success is their vineyards. Those vineyards attracted the attention of young, ambitious winemaker Nathaniel Rose, who was able to get access to them to make his Right Bank and Left Bank blends. My review of the Right Bank (also a part of the 2012 project) is here.

Allow me to briefly quote myself , from this post from 2018:

“Rose is rightfully very proud of [Left and Right Bank], especially the Left Bank. He loves to tell the story of the tasting he attended with several sommeliers (including  Master somm Brett Davis), winemakers, writers and other experts in which his 2012 Left Bank Blend went up against a group of Second Growth Bordeaux and cult California Cabs, including Cardinale (~$270), Ridge Monte Bello (~$250), and Jos. Phelps Insignia (~$190), all of the 2012 vintage. Left Bank won. None of the experts could pick Left Bank out of the lineup blind and tasters could not tell the difference between it and the 2012 Cardinale Cab at all. In fact, they believed they had mistakenly been poured the same wine twice.”

The last time I talked to him, Nathaniel said that he considers this vintage of Left Bank to be the best wine he ever made. I’ll say that it’s the best Michigan Bordeaux-style red blend I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot of very good ones) and in the short list of best red wines I’ve ever tasted. It’s elegant, sophisticated, excellent with food, and never overly boozy or over oaked. It’s proof that with the right vintage, vineyard, and winemaker, Michigan wines can stand alongside any comparable wines on the planet.

It’s also proof that a well-made Michigan wine can grow with age. I’ve had wines (yes, even some from The Great Lakes State) that fell apart after five or more years in the bottle. The 2012 Left Bank still has everything in the right place, and I think it could taste as good for at least five more years in the right cellar.

$120 is close to twice my upper limit for wine under normal circumstances, but I didn’t regret what I spent for one second that this wine touched my lips. Everyone else I served it to loved it just as much as I did too. Nathaniel Rose Left Bank 2012 is highly recommended.

Peninsula Cellars Merlot/Cabernet Franc, 2012 (The Hog’s Back)

Josh1 Comment
20171205_161540.jpg

Maker: Peninsula Cellars, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Grapes: Merlot (75%), Cabernet Franc (25%).

Place of Origin: The Hog’s Back vineyard, Old Mission Peninsula AVA, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Vintage: 2012

ABV: 13%

Notes: 230 cases produced, 13 months in French oak.

Purchased for $30 at winery.

Appearance: Dark ruby.

Nose: Medium bodied and fruity. Cherry juice, fruit of the forest pie filling, mace, blueberry.

Palate: Cherry juice, ancho chili, toasted oak.

Finish: Juicy, then a nip of bitter oak.

Parting words: The Hog’s Back is the next entry in the 2012 project, the goal of which is the see how Michigan wines age. I last reviewed this wine in 2017, when it earned coveted “highly recommended” status. See that review for more information on The Hog’s Back vineyard, and Peninsula Cellars, one of my favorite Northern Michigan wineries.

Going by that review, this wine has changed in a few ways. First, it’s not nearly as acidic (in taste anyway) as it was back then. The cherries and berries are still there, but it’s like the tang has been almost completely removed. The baking spice is also still there, but there’s a bitter oak taste in the finish that was surprising.

This is still a very good wine at over ten years old, but it is probably starting its inevitable downward slide. If you still have a 2012 Hog’s Back, it’s time to drink up! Still, Peninsula Cellars 2012 Merlot/Cabernet Franc, 2012 is recommended.

Burning Chair

JoshLeave a comment

Maker: Savage and Cooke, Vallejo, California, USA.

Distillery: Ross & Sqibb, Lawrenceburg, Indiana, USA.

Style: Bourbon whiskey finished in Zinfandel and Grenache (70/30%) barrels.

Age: NAS

Proof: 119 (59.7 ABV)

Barrel: 213

Purchased for $70 (Vine and Table)

Tasted with a little water.

Appearance: Medium copper.

Nose: Big spice, char, cayenne, oak, and sweet red wine.

Palate: Full-bodied with a velvety, sweet opening. Wild cherry Lifesavers, then oak, spice, and burn that slowly grows until it burns the roof of my mouth like a hot slice of pizza.

Finish: Burn and cherry wine. Not quite cough syrup but right on the edge.

Parting words: Savage & Cooke is a restaurant/distillery in Vallejo, California. It was founded and is owned by Dave Phinney, known as “the The Prisoner Guy” in wine circles. It’s another case of a rich guy getting into the micro-distilling business, and also another case of a distillery that seems to be more of a distillery-themed restaurant than what normally passes for a distillery.

As cheesy as all that sounds, this is one of the better finished bourbons I’ve tasted. One of the keys is starting with good, already aged whiskey. Too many producers, large and small, try to use finishes to cover up flaws in the spirit. That almost never works, so I’m glad Savage & Cooke didn’t try. This has a solid whiskey base. The finish is noticeable, but not overwhelming, and well-integrated. It’s everything a wine-finished bourbon should be.

The price, on the other hand, is higher than it should be. I knew $70 was too much when I paid for it, but it is barrel strength, unavailable in the Mitten State, an exclusive retail bottling, and Dave Helt was pouring samples of it at the time. So I paid it, and I haven’t really been disappointed. As a result, Burning Chair (barrel 213) is recommended.

Tempesta, 2016

JoshLeave a comment

Maker: Bel Lago, Cedar, Michigan, USA.

Grapes: Cabernet Franc, Regent, Merlot, Marquette, “and more (?).” Label calls it a “vineyard blend”.

Place of origin: Bel Lago estate, Leelanau Peninsula AVA, Leelanau County, Michigan.

Vintage: 2016

ABV: 13.5% ABV

Notes: Spent 34 months in oak barrels.

Purchased for $44 from Michigan by the Bottle Tasting Room, Royal Oak.

Thanks to Cortney Case for the information on the grapes that went into this wine!

Appearance: Brick red.

Nose: Cherry jam, lightly toasted oak, anise, mace.

Palate: Blackberry jam, mulberry, leather.

Finish: Chewy with a little tang.

Parting words: I bought this wine about a year ago. At the time, I’m sure I took note of what the composition of the wine was, but over the months, that knowledge drifted out of my mind. So in preparation for this review, I emailed friend-of-the-blog Cortney Casey (co-owner of Michigan by the Bottle) and asked if she had any information on the grapes in this wine. She wrote back promptly with the above information but noted that Bel Lago co-founder “Charlie [Edson] is notoriously difficult to get full blend lists out of since a lot of his wines are field blends.” Since that is the case, I’m going to assume the term “vineyard blend” on the label means field blend.

I didn’t have that information at my fingertips when I tasted this wine, though, so I went in assuming this would be a Bordeaux/Meritage style blend like many of the “flagship” red blends in Michigan. I was therefore surprised at the “fruit of the forest” flavors of Tempesta at first taste, but with Regent and Marquette in the mix, it makes a lot more sense. That is not intended as a knock in any way, though. Tempesta is an excellent food wine, pairing well with just about anything except shellfish, which it would overwhelm.

$44 is pretty expensive. Not Bel Lago’s most expensive (that would be the Riesling ice wine), but it is in the top four. I’ve had the second most expensive one, sibling wine Tempesta Cabernet Franc, but I think I actually prefer this over that!

I vacillated between a full and a mild recommendation because of the price, but I’ve settled on full. Even though Regent and Marquette are pretty easy to grow in Northern Michigan, Merlot is not (even in a hot vintage like 2016), and Cab Franc can be a pain from time to time. If it is indeed a field blend, that’s worth a bit more as well. All in all, I feel comfortable recommending 2016 Bel Lago Tempesta.

The 2012 Project

Josh1 Comment

In my last wine review, I stated that there was a blogging project coming up that involved aging and Michigan wines. Well, here it is: the 2012 project.

A few of the wines that will be a part of the 2012 Project.

In the early 2010s, around the time this blog was born, there was a run of excellent vintages in Michigan. 2010, 2011, and 2012 were all hailed as superb at the time. By the time the 2012 wines were released, I finally got the memo I and started collecting them with an eye on seeing how they would develop in my cellar. 2013 was more challenging, with a cooler autumn, but was recognized as a good year for whites at the time. In retrospect, some excellent reds were produced that year as well; they’ve just taken longer to develop than their older siblings.

Two cellars, one alpaca farm, and countless wine shops later (OK, mostly MBTB, Red Wagon, and Holiday Market), the time has come. Starting in January 2023, I will be embarking on a series of reviews of Michigan wines from the 2012 and 2013 vintages with the goal of understanding how they’ve changed in the bottle and what difference factors like terroir, winemaker, and closure make, among other things. The wines are mostly red, but there will be a few whites in the mix. They are all from Michigan AVAs that existed at the time: Lake Michigan Shore, Leelanau Peninsula, and Old Mission Peninsula. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to grab any from Fennville.

Why include 2013s in the 2012 Project? As I mentioned above, 2012 and 2013 were pretty different vintages. A lot can be learned just tasting through the 2012 vintage, but including 2013 opens up the possibilities to explore how the variations in weather from year to year factors into the aging of wine.

Winemakers: It’s not too late to get your wines in on the action! If you have library wines you want me to include in this project, send me an email at sipologyblog@gmail.com . The project is currently weighted toward red Bordeaux variety wines, so any samples of whites or other red varieties you may have are especially welcomed!

I’m looking forward to exploring these bottles with you all in the new year!

Happy Holidays from your internet drinking buddy Josh.

Crown of Cab, 2017

Josh1 Comment

Maker: Domaine Berrien, Berrien Springs, Michigan, USA.

Grapes: 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec.

Place of origin: Domaine Berrien estate, Lake Michigan Shore AVA, Michigan, USA.

Vintage: 2017

ABV: Undisclosed (table wine exception).

Purchased for $21 (Michigan by the Bottle Tasting Room, Royal Oak).

Appearance: Brick red.

Nose: Cherry juice, toasted French oak, wild blackberry.

Palate: Medium bodied. Tart and a little chewy. Tart cherry, blackberry, leather.

Finish: Chewy like a good Bordeaux.

Parting words: Crown of Cab is the crown jewel of Domaine Berrien’s cellar. It’s produced every year from a blend of red Bordeaux varieties. In odd numbered years, winemaker and co-owner Wally Maurer aims for a Left Bank Bordeaux, producing a Cab Sauv-forward blend like this one. In even numbered years, he goes for a Right Bank, Merlot & Cab Franc heavy blend.

Although Wally encourages his customers to drink his wines promptly, they are some of the most age-worthy wines produced in the Mitten State. That fact is even more astounding when one factors in how affordable they all are.

At five years old, this blend is just starting to get going. 2017 was an especially fine vintage in Michigan as well, so this wine will probably end up having a long, fulfilling life for anyone who can wait a while.

Speaking of aging, I have a fun series of reviews planned for this winter and spring that involve aging Michigan wine. Watch this space for more information soon!

At any rate, 2017 Crown of Cab is recommended for cellaring and for drinking right now!