There's more to Traverse City than Great Golf

There’s more to Traverse City than

Great Golfing

They make Great Rieslings too as we tasted during Rude Tasters

We just got back from a fantastic couple of days golfing in the Traverse City area.   We played a couple of courses that we had not played before on the west side.   Most of the “famous” courses are all up the east side of East Bay from Acme up to Charlevoix and Petoskey.   We played Bahle Farms in Suttons Bay which has a very undulating terrain and very tricky, though not unfair, greens.   From the forward tees, it was quite playable for seniors.   We were up there the third week in September and were just about the only ones on the course.   We played 18 holes in a few hours easily.   We also played the Crown located just north of Silver Lake not too far from Chums Corner.   It was also quite undulating with some very interesting breaks on the greens and, similarly, that time of year, we might have been the only ones out there.   It was also very playable from the forward tees.

After finishing at Bahle Farms, we had planned on spending the rest of the day in Leelanau County visiting winery tasting rooms.   However, old as we are, we all needed a nap and slept away most of the afternoon.   We had a reservation at Wren in Suttons Bay where we had a phenomenal meal. That allowed us just enough time for one winery before dinner.   We chose Bluestone in Lake Leelanau.   This was a great winery visit.  The pricing was not quite as egregious as most wineries up north so we enjoyed some wines that were actually sold at a price that we could justify paying.   The best of the bunch is their Rieslings.   While both the dry and late harvest were absolutely flawless and very enjoyable, the late harvest might be one of if not the best Michigan Riesling I’ve tasted!   2017 Bluestone Late Harvest Leelanau Riesling $18 shows both fruit purity, lively crisp citrus notes, a hint of minerals, a fat ripe mid palate and a long juicy gripping texture that lasts several seconds.   It really reminds me…..no, actually, if blindfolded I might think I was overlooking the Nahe sipping a great Traisener Rotenfels.  They make a couple of reds of note too.   They produce a very nice, well balanced Winemaker’s Red and a wine described as a “casual red” made from Cab Franc, Merlot plus unnamed red hybrids.   As a committed winemaker and grower of early red hybrids, I got a kick out of the “casual” moniker.   I thought it was pretty damn good!   2018 Ad Lib Leelanau Red Wine $16 certainly possesses the finesse that one wants from Cab Franc and Merlot, but, really gets a boost from the hybrids which deliver body, ripe fruit and a rich fruity after taste.   They do offer the tasting flight for free if you buy 4 bottles.

So, with that in mind, we were pleased to attend the September Rude Tasters Riesling tasting hosted by Tom and Kim LeRoux.  Because Tom and Kim are grape growers, we all assumed that at least a few of the wines would be from Michigan.   I and most of the tasters were quite surprised to find that ALL of the wines were from Michigan.   As always, we taste double blind.   We know nothing other than what we can see and smell in the glass.   We were not even told that the wines were Riesling, though, that was fairly obvious.   Here’s how it shook out.

WARM UP WINES

Fenn Valley Lake Michigan Shore Premier Cuvee Sparkling (Methode Champenoise) White Wine $24 (12.5% ABV)  This would have easily scored a gold medal on my ballot had it been part of a formal tasting.  The huge complex yeasty nose reminded me of a grower Champagne.   The finish was equally long, rich and toasty.   I guess Mawby isn’t the only one in Michigan making world class sparkling wine.

2017 St Julian Reserve (semi dry) Lake Michigan Shore Riesling $10 (11% ABV)  Though this is an agreeable enough wine with a pleasant fruity demeanor, it probably would have scored in the lower tier in the following tasting.  It probably would benefit from a few years in the bottle, but right now I’d give it a bronze medal if I were scoring it.

FIRST FLIGHT         

2014 Tabone Vineyards Old Mission Peninsula Estate Riesling $26 (12% ABV)  The rather odd bouquet was not terribly appealing.  There is a lot going on; yellow plum, floral notes and melon, but somehow all I can say is that it is a very odd Riesling.   My score 79 points, group score 90 points, 4th place.

2017 Chateau Grand Traverse Old Mission Peninsula Dry Riesling $13 (12%ABV)  Very aromatic with peach, minerals, a subtle yeasty nuance all make it a really nice wine with great potential.   At the moment, it seems to be holding back and not really showing much beyond some very nice but fleeting aromatics.   My score 85 points, group score 92 points, 2nd place.

2016 Leelanau Cellars Leelanau Peninsula Dry Riesling $16 (12.7% ABV) Starting out with a fine, complex, sweet/sour mélange of plums, peaches, limestone and subtle earth smells, this wine carries all that through to the finish.  This is a classic!   It is very Germanic and I am certain that it will age well.   As usual, my favorite was not liked by the rest of the group. One taster even found it oxidized. Really?  My score 96 points, group score 80 points, 8th (last) place.

2016 Chateau Fontaine Leelanau Peninsula (dry) Riesling $13.50 (ABV not listed) A very nice fresh pear-like nose offers elegant subtle fruit purity with a slight suggestion of cherries..   It is still pretty closed yet shows finesse and will probably evolve well.  My score 93 points, group score 96 points, 1st place.

SECOND FLIGHT

NV Cherry Creek Cellars Lake Michigan Shore Wood Duck (dry) Risling $16 (ABV not listed) This is a classy wine with minerals, slate, clay, pure white Bosque pear and a juicy mouth feel surprising for a dry Riesling.   There is a crisp hit of citrus at the end almost a spritz.   Like most of these wines, only time will tell, but, I like its chances.   My score 93 points, group score 83 points, 6th place tie.

2018 Crane’s Winery Lake Michigan Shore Dry Riesling $16 (ABV not listed) There isn’t much here other than an odd non-grape aroma and equally odd flavors.   My score 78 points, group score 83 points, 6th place tie.

2017 Fenn Valley Vineyards Lake Michigan Shore Estate Dry Riesling $11 (11% ABV) This is the value of the tasting.   The nose is exquisite!  A full aroma of herbs and flowers starts off with a fine long lasting grip of rich not too acidic lemon-like fruit following up.  My score 94 points, group score 91 points, 3rd place.

2017 White Pine Lake Michigan Shore Dry Riesling $16 (12% ABV) A very pretty wine with floral scents, sweet pears and green apples.   To me, this wine exemplifies SW Michigan.  I like the slightly bitter finish which begs one to sip clean pure Riesling again.  My score 90 points, group score 89 points, 5th place.

None of us knew that this was an all Michigan tasting nor did we know that the first flight was all northern Michigan and the second flight SW Michigan.   The only wine that really jumped out regarding terroir to me was the White Pine which just seemed to perfectly capture the essence of where we live.   By and large, the group favored the wines of northern Michigan.   I can’t say that I preferred one region over the other.   Three of the Lake Michigan Shore wines are from Fennville though I do not know if there is any connection other than the location of the wineries.   I suspect the Bluestone that we tasted  on our golf weekend would have fared well in this competition.

Enjoy in Good Health,

Brian Cain, the Michigan Vintner