Tag: white blend

Marland Sauvignon Blanc & Semillion, 2020

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Maker: Wyncroft/Marland, Fennville, Michigan, USA.

Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc (75%), Semillon (25%)

Place of origin: Lake Michigan Shore, Michigan, USA.

Vintage: 2020

Note: Aged in acacia barrels.

ABV: Not disclosed (table wine loophole)

Purchased for $19 (winery).

Appearance: Very pale straw

Nose: Golden delicious apples

Palate: Pear, touch of wood, honey.

Finish: Honey, gravel, clementines.

Parting words: Marland Sauv Blanc/Semillon is basically the less expensive, non-estate version of Wyncroft Shou (pronounced “show”) white. To my knowledge, Wyncroft’s James Lester is the only winemaker in Michigan who uses acacia barrels to ferment and age a white blend like this. He does it because that’s how many wineries in Bordeaux make their white blends. I don’t drink a lot of white Bordeaux, but the technique works very well in this wine, and its more expensive cousin. It adds a rich mouthfeel without any of the toasty tastes and aromas one gets from French oak barrels.

I’m not sure how much of this vintage is still kicking around, but 2020 was a great one for pretty much everything, so if you see this, pick it up! It’s a good all-season white that goes beyond the typical summertime porch-sipper. 2020 Marland Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon is recommended.

For more information on Wyncroft/Marland, see the write up of my visit there last year here.

Cody Kresta Marsanne-Roussanne, 2018

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Maker: Cody Kresta, Mattawan, Michigan, USA

Grapes: Marsanne (60%), Roussanne (40%).

Place of origin: Lake Michigan Shore AVA.

Vintage: 2018

ABV: 12% (I think)

Purchased for $23 (Michigan by the Bottle wine club)

Appearance: Gold.

Nose: Dried apricot, canned peach, lychee.

Palate: Full-bodied and dry. Fresh apricot, dried mango.

Finish: Dry and a little chewy.

Parting words: Cody Kresta is a winery I need to drink more from. I think one reason I haven’t is that I get it confused with another winery in the same area with a similar name that I visited once and was unimpressed with.

Syrah is one of the best kept secrets of Southwestern Michigan. If quality Syrah can be produced there, then why not Marsanne and Roussanne, the signature white grape varieties of the Northern Rhone valley? Friends of the Blog Domaine Berrien produce a fine Marsanne and have for years, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise for Cody Kresta to produce this blend.

They produce it very well. I haven’t had enough white Rhone wine, so I can’t make an informed comparison, but I can say that this is a good wine on its own terms. It a nice change of pace from the unoaked Chards and semi-dry Rieslings that make up the majority of my white wine consumption. $23 is more than fair, factoring in the rarity of this sort of blend in Michigan. Cody Kresta Marsanne-Roussanne is recommended.

Emergence White, 2016

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Maker: Laurentide Winery, Lake Leelanau, Michigan, USA20180821_165921.jpg

Grapes: About equal parts Riesling, Chradonnay and Pinot Gris (according to owner).

Place of origin: Leelanau Peninsula AVA, Leelanau County, Michigan, USA

Style: Semi-dry white table blend

ABV: ~12% (according to owner. Table wines are not required to list an ABV)

Price: $15 (website)

Appearance: Very light gold, almost clear.

Nose: Musk melon, grapefruit, Sprite.

Palate: Medium-bodied, well-rounded. Fresh melon, mandarin orange.

Finish: Stonefruit, stones.

Parting words: I’m a fan of Laurentide, the wines, the people and the ice sheet, which shaped our beautiful Great Lakes. Emergence White is a well-balanced, easy-to-drink, food-friendly wine. A bottle is perfect for dinnertime on the patio. A case is perfect for a BBQ with grilled chicken. Emergence White is recommended.