Tweet and Taste Michigan - Monday June 7

Our friends over at Michigan By the Bottle are doing another Tweet and Taste on Monday June 7, 7 pm CST.

This one is going to be a bit different - it will feature the wineries of the Old Mission Peninsula.

The wines being tasted are:

*2 Lads 2009 Pinot Grigio
*Black Star Farms Sirius Cherry Dessert Wine
*Bowers Harbor Vineyards 2006 2896 Langley (Meritage)
*Chateau Chantal 2009 Pinot Grigio
*Chateau Grand Traverse 2008 Ship of Fools
*Brys Estate 2007 Signature Red
*Peninsula Cellars - 2006 Gewurztraminer

I'll be tasting all seven with a few friends who know don't know much about wine - I will try to get their opinions and post them in the individual reviews. As was the case with the last few Tweet and Tastes, I will be posting reviews for each wine by Wednesday night.

All the important details can be found over at Michigan by the Bottle.

2005 Iron Horse Brut Rose

This bottle goes for $50 through the winery, but as is the case with many Iron Horse wines you can do far far better if you shop around.

I really don't get much of a nose on this. Kind of a Tropical Punch Kool-Aid thing, but seriously watered down.

This is heavy. A bit toasty, some raspberry jam - totally full flavored but a nicely balanced body. A touch of vanilla, even a bit of peach, a nice zip of acid, and even some rather firmly developed tannic structure.

More of the same on the finish, what's interesting is this almost finishes as a light bodied Pinot Noir - rather full bodied, oak qualities, cherry, and ripe golden stone fruit.

So what happened is I wound up falling asleep with a a bit more than a full glass worth still in the bottle. Seeing as I neither chilled nor made any attempt to preserve it, I was about to spill it out the next afternoon when I decided it was worth a taste. Shockingly, a good deal of fizz still remained and the wine was still quite tasty. A cranberry quality took over the palate and finish.

I can see this wine being offputting to some. It's a distinct style - dare I say this would make a good cold weather sparkler? Maybe not winter cold, but if you enjoy sitting outside on a brisk spring evening this may fit the bill. All that being said, I dig it.

Score: 91

Tweet and Taste!

Check out the preview video:



Next week - Tweet and Taste Michigan. Monday, June 7 at 7 pm CST....Get onto Twitter and search #ttmi. If you have any comments make sure to toss #ttmi in there as well.

I haven't tried this in real time, but messing around with TweetChat has been quite enjoyable. I'm going to try it out - basically you just punch in the hashtag you want to follow (remember: #ttmi) and it refreshes automatically all posts AND adds the tag to all of your posts (one of my biggest problems was forgetting the tag).

Should be a good time - check it out on June 7th!

2008 Wollersheim Winery Prairie Fume

Many places in Wisconsin have this wine available - if shelf talkers are to believed it is the number one selling Wisconsin wine (or is it wine in Wisconsin?...I think the former). This is made with 100% Seyval Blanc. Through the winery it's nine bucks, but figure a few bucks more if you shop elsewhere.

Lime and slate on the nose - a bit of air and grapefruit comes through. A bit more and some grassy notes come through.

Lime seems to dominate, with pink grapefruit, some pithy qualities as well. I don't often get the whole "slate" thing, but this definitely is bringing it through. My initial thought was this wine was flabby but with a bit of air it seems to balance itself out. A tad sweet, but not by no means cloyingly so. Low alcohol - 10% - though still dangerous as you can easily drink an entire bottle with little thought.

A very mild pink grapefruit quality is what lingers on the finish.

At nine bucks I cannot complain - a great picnic and/or patio and/or Ravinia wine. The price is right, the balance is good, and overall we have just a crisp, easy drinking wine. If you wish Sauvignon Blancs were just a bit sweeter and more approachable, this will be up your alley.

Score: 86

2001 Kracher Zwischen Den Seen Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese #8

Kracher...ah, yes Kracher...some of the best dessert wines made come from this producer in Austria. This half bottle runs for, I kid you not, $80. If you live near Chicago, Binny's frequently 'end of bin' sales these so you can get them for far less if you time it right.

Potent dried fruit - apricot, mango, vanilla, plus some heat on the nose.

There are complex wines where you can rattle off a hundred things and there are complex wines where it's difficult to pull out even one. I'm going to start with peaches - not fresh though, the juice from canned peaches is what hits the palate first. Make some caramel and add a bit of vanilla and throw it in the mix as well as some golden raisins and dried apricot and perhaps a dash of honey. The mouthfeel is comparable to olive oil - thick and viscous. The wine is incredibly sweet, but it somehow manages to not be cloying - there doesn't seem to be much acid but it clearly works it all out. There is more...

A lengthy finish - a dried mango quality comes through, candied orange zest, and sugarfied peach last for minutes.

Dessert wine is tricky to even think about scoring, but this is just outstanding. It's complex, tasty, and balanced. Outrageously priced? Yes. Worth it? Perhaps. Kracher is known as being one of the best dessert wine producers on the planet, this wine proves it.

Score: 96

2006 Almaviva Rothschild/Vina Concha y Toro Red Blend

This wine retails at various local stores for $89. I've seen it (and acquired it) for somewhat less than that. This was decanted for four hours before sampling. This is a Bordeaux blend with: 63% Cabernet Sauvignon 26% Carmenère, 9% Cabernet Franc and 2% Merlot

Cassiss and cherry on the nose. Way deep in there is some campfire - burn some chunks of cedar to ash, splash some water on it, and breathe deep. Here you go. Tobacco and even green pepper as well. An almost startlingly complex nose.

Smoke hits me first. Plum, vanilla, mocha, cherry, blueberry, a bit of bell pepper - dare I even say, a bit of a beet quality? Deceptively smooth and balanced - great tannins, acid, fruit, and earth. That being said, the nose on this one is more interesting than the palate.

A funkier finish than one would expect follows - roasted red pepper with qualities that aren't necessarily tobacco, but actually straight up cigar. Imagine a cigar dipped in pureed red pepper.

A very good bottle of wine, but I am cringing at the notion of paying almost $100 for this.

Score: 93+

Dinner - Lockwood - 5/14/10

Oh, Lockwood...you frustrate me, but I still like you. Like. I want to love you, but I can't.

I've been to Lockwood a few times mostly for lunch and had a dinner some time ago. I've enjoyed each visit. This visit - and a previous one - both shared one very large issue: every hot dish arrived lukewarm.



The bread at Lockwood is among the best I've had. I would visit this place for the bread alone.




A deconstructed shrimp cocktail was the highlight of the meal. Those are laughing bird shrimp and an array of sauces. Flawless.




The deconstructed chicken wings are good....lukewarm, though (the bread was warmer than the chicken). The menu describes these as "filled with great hills blue cheese" - these were not. There were, however, chunks of blue cheese on the plate so one could control the amount. This is merely an observation rather than a complaint - a comment in case it looks like the kind of think you want to try but you dislike blue cheese.




Saffron risotto was good, with a bit of lobster on the top there.




Four different preparations of pork - rib, tenderloin, and I don't remember what else. Everything was good, but yet again....lukewarm.


Frustrating. People on yelp complain about slow service at Lockwood. In my opinion, the service doesn't "feel" slow - it is certainly deliberately paced, but no more so than most high end restaurants. Is the lukewarm food the fault of the leisurely service? Or is the kitchen to blame? Perhaps the chicken wings were prepared and plated before the shrimp and it sat too long? I don't know. I liked our waiter - he was friendly and attentive, so I hate to blame him.

To be blunt: If I disliked Lockwood I wouldn't bother posting these photos. The food is quite good and the prices are fair for the quality. That being said, in order to truly enjoy the experience you have to look the other way on enough things that my recommendation is a qualified one. I will likely return, but it will be later rather than sooner.

Lunch - Blackbird - 5/14/10

We had lunch at Blackbird on May 14 as part of a weekend of gluttony to celebrate the ol' wedding anniversary.



We ate at Blackbird so I figured Blackbird rose was a fair choice. No notes, but I enjoyed it.




Sweetbreads was the appetizer. If you go to Blackbird, you must get sweetbreads. Seriously. The green stuff is not avocado but pistachio along with some preserved plum.

Blackbird is not only delicious, but it is a rather outstanding bargain at lunch. This pork belly sandwich - which was quite large - was $13. The fries were, without exaggeration, the best fries I have had anywhere ever. Seriously.

Fran had the grilled hanger steak with cavolo nero, cajeta-braised onions and watercress.

I was quite sold on Blackbird with our dinner visits, but lunch was outstanding all around. I don't think anything on the menu was over $20 except for a three course lunch deal that had three courses. Sold.

N/V Portly Gentleman Australian Dessert Wine

Once in a great while I find a wine label that speaks to me....I present to you one such label. I'm not tasting this blind and am doing notes over the course of a few weeks. Retail on this is around $14.

Black cherry, black raspberry, and dark chocolate on the nose. After a few weeks of being open the nose is dominated by brandied cherries or maybe even cherry kijafa.

This wine needs air - pop it, pour a glass or two, and let it sit for a while (fridge or counter). Day one I called this flabby and dull. Now I'm rather sold. Big body, spice, oak, vanilla, spice, cinnamon, vanilla, plum, a bit of nuttiness.

A somewhat short finish - dark cherry at first, drifting away to vanilla.

Tasty and complex enough you'll want to drink it, cheap and tasty enough it would be great to poach some pears in. No complaints.

Score: 88* *not blind

2005 Iron Horse Ultra Brut Sparkling Wine

This goes for $50 from the winery and appears to be a limited offering.

Green apple on the nose. As in bite into a ripe Granny Smith and shove your nose in it - this is it.

As expected, tart green apple dominates. There's also a grassy sort of thing going on, perhaps some lemon zest. A very nice stream of tiny bubbles that last quite a while give this a very nice mouthfeel. As it breathes, I do get a bit of doughy notes that I am digging.

More of that lemon with a bit of lime and some interesting floral kinda qualities.

A good bottle...quite good, in fact. Great? I don't know.

Score: 87+

2008 Two Lads Pinot Noir

This is a Pinot Noir from northern Michigan up on the Old Mission Peninsula near Traverse City. Recently we've had some Michigan Pinot Noir from Black Star Farms and Shady Lane Cellars and they both has similarities - perhaps terroir? Does this have it? Let's fine out. This goes for $35 through the tasting room.

The nose? Funk. Sassafras and earth - not much in terms of fruit until about two hours in, then some ripe, farmer's market style strawberry comes through.

All sorts of dark spice - clove, cinnamon, nutmeg. I considered this to be perhaps even too spice driven, but that blows off after a few hours. Beautiful acid - integrated nicely, present and strong but not in your face or abrasive...in fact, in terms of acid this might be one of the best examples of 'balanced' that I've had in some time. For fruit, I'm getting mostly a black raspberry thing.

The raspberry thing really comes through immediately on the finish. A bit of vanilla bean seems to come through - in a spicy rather than creamy kind of way - as well.

Though I'm not doing a direct comparison and not taking away from the other wine, I do think this is noticeable step up from the other MI Pinot Noir. Of course, at $35 a bottle though, it's also a step up in price. Is it worth it? That's up to you. That being said, when I found out this was a Michigan Pinot I was not surprised - it had many of the same qualities, but the whole thing just hit me as a bit more polished.

Score: 91

Tweet and Taste - Monday, May 17

The next Michigan Tweet and Taste is coming up in a couple weeks. Monday, May 17 at 8 pm EST. Get on Twitter and search #ttmi to follow along.

This one will feature four different wines from the Lake Michigan Shore - the southwest part of the state.

The wines being tasted are:

Domaine Berrien 2007 Syrah
St Julian Braganini Reserve 2006 Chancellor and St. J Red
Round Barn 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Warner Vineyards Veritas

I will not be tasting along this time but it will be worth your while. Two (old-ish) reviews have been done of the wines in question and the hyperlinks above go to those reviews.

2005 Cafaro Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This goes for $39 through the winery. I know nothing about this winery other than the bottle curiously does not have a barcode and I don't think I've ever seen it in a shop. I acquired this through a silent auction at a charity event.

Plum and blackberry on the nose, but cigar box dominates.

Smooth and nicely balanced - this is just a nice drinking wine. It's fairly big, but also elegant, you won't confuse it with something Old World, but it has none of the downfalls that plague many New World wines. A gentle giant, if you will - the Pete Steele of wine. Cherry and ripe blackberry come through with cedar, mint, and (very mild) anise. Mid palate, oak and/or cedar come through considerably as do some more spicy qualities including a bit of brown spice.

An almost Grand Marnier quality comes through right at the start of the finish, as that fades a cherry, currant, and a vague mint quality linger for some time.

Forty bucks is a tad more than I'd prefer to spend on a bottle of wine, but there's absolutely nothing to complain about here. Nicely done.

Score: 91+

2007 Seven Deadly Zins Lodi Zinfandel

Seven deadly Zins, seven ways to win, seven holy paths to hell and your trip begins. This is a fifteen dollar bottle, though you can often find it on sale for less. I've wanted to try for some time now.

A very thick nose - black cherry, almost cough syrupy.

Smooth - a bit of smoke, a bit of cherry, a bit of plum, a bit of vanilla, a bit of red licorice, even a tad bit of black licorice. A bit jammy, but not overly so. A bit sweet, but by no means sickeningly so (though enough to knock off a few points). I'd gladly serve this at a BBQ with burgers and I can absolutely see this with ribs.

Vanilla, cedar, and cherry on the finish.

A big wine, tasty, and not terribly simple. I'm digging this. If I found it on sale I could see grabbing another bottle. If you (or someone you love) is a fan of Yellow Tail or that sort of thing, this is a tremendous next step. It's big and slightly sweet, but it's a clear step up in quality.

And now for some Maiden....



Score: 86

2007 Shady Lane Cellars Pinot Noir

Aerate aerate aerate. My initial thoughts - and dare I say even my thoughts after 90 minutes - of this wine were negative. It hit me as rather harsh and overwhelmingly tart. What happens on day two, a full 24 hours, after opening? This bottle was comped and sells for $22 through the winery. We tasted it as part of the Tweet and Taste, but these notes are based on the next day where things were a bit more sedate and settled.

Day one brought brown spice. Day two brings out a clear raspberry leaf with a touch of mint - almost a raspberry tea.

At first, this was harsh. Now? Rather smooth. At first, overwhelming acid and tartness. Now? Well integrated acid with fruit and earth coming through. Raspberry dominates with a bit of carob. When I say raspberry, I am talking part fruit, part leaf, part root...it's an earthy, funky, dirty raspberry. As in, don't pick the raspberry, pick the entire plant out of the ground and blend it - that's this. I'm not getting a whole lot in terms of tannin, but acid and earth are more than present. Some people on the Tweet and Taste were discussing an "artificial" quality, which I could see at the time, but as it opens, I think it's really more "essence" and "herbal." Have you ever had those Vitamin Waters that have no calories, no fake sugars, and only "essence"? I haven't seen them around lately, but I do recall them fondly - this reminds me of that.

More of that funky/earthy/dirty raspberry on the finish.

Sit on it for a while or give it 4+ hours in the decanter. When it comes together, you may or may not dig it, but you will respect it. $22? I'm not sure, but it is a Pinot Noir...Michigan has a distinct style of Pinot - it's light, funky, acidic, and spicy. I think this is an excellent representation - not for all palates, but for those who dig it, I couldn't imagine not being a fan.

Let me just say something here - Shady Lane's Pinot Noir and Riesling really came together after multiple hours of air. Some wines completely fall apart after three hours of air, these start getting good at that point - it's a testament to the quality. I'm giving this 87, but I have a feeling in 2012 or so, this wine is going to annihilate. It's a shame the Mayans are going to kill us all by then. Speaking of Mayans, have you seen Apocalypto? Holy crap - what a good movie.

Score: 87* *not blind

2008 Shady Lane Cellars Blue Franc (Blaufrankish)

This wine goes for $22 through the winery. We tried this comped bottle as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan - search #ttmi on Twitter and check out all the tweets! During the Tweet and Taste I was not on my A game due to an array of reasons, so by all means check that out, but you may be better off ignoring the comments from @thewineauxs.

On first pour I got barnyard, but now I think it's more the precursor to barnyard, which is of course, bacon. Bacon, mint, basil, all quite mellow.

Very smooth. Black cherry, blueberry, soft tannins, soft acid, soft everything really. I can see this working with a bit of a chill on it, but it's going nicely at cellar temp. I hate to even suggest bastardizing a good bottle, but this would be perfect for warming up and mulling some spices...don't do it, but I think it would work, but really, don't do it. The balance is almost too good on this...everything falls right into place. The sort of wine I describe as dangerous because it's so easy drinking and so seemingly "simple" that you don't even think about what a pain in the ass it must be to get a wine so perfectly integrated.

Cola hits me right away on the finish. As do cherries. Cherry cola? I suppose so.

Recently I was asked for a good red wine that's not sweet, but not too big or harsh. This is it. This is probably the finest red wine of that style I can think of. Exceptionally drinkable, quite mellow, with some nice subtleties.

Though this review was not done blind and the bottle was comped, my opinion has not been consciously swayed.

Score: 90* *not blind

2008 Shady Lane Cellars Dry Riesling

This wine retails for $16.50 through the winery. We tried this comped bottle as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan - search #ttmi on Twitter and check out all the tweets! During the Tweet and Taste I was not on my A game for an array of reasons we'll avoid here, so by all means check that out, but you may be better off ignoring the comments from @thewineauxs.

Spicy apricot hits me immediately on the nose, with some slightly unripe golden apple, maybe even apple blossom. Apple flavored herbal tea comes to mind.

So, when I read "Dry Riesling" I admit the occasional eyeroll, but I'll be damned, this s.o.b. is dry. Lots of acid, fruit and floral notes, but very little - if any - sugar. The fruit is slightly unripe with pear, apple, maybe even green grape. There's a definite petrol quality - the sort of thing you'd expect in a much pricier Riesling, and a funky kind of asparagus thing. The mouthfeel is slightly viscous, but the acid creates a good pucker that makes it barely noticeable. Everything here comes together nicely.

Lengthy finish - unripe stone fruit, peaches mostly. You know, it's kind of like if you take a peach, squeeze out all the juice and somehow remove the sugar - the way back end of the finish has this pungent dry peach thing that, lame as it sounds, is somewhat exciting.

I am digging this one a lot. My advice - and the consensus of many people on the Twitter feed - is let this one warm up a bit before drinking. This bottle has been out of the fridge for a full two hours and can be be described as "cool" and I think it's at its finest point. I originally gave this one an 88, but after it warmed up it completely elevated to a new level.

Though this review was not done blind and the bottle was comped, my opinion has not been consciously swayed. That being said, I'm not afraid to say a crappy wine is just that - this is solid.

Score: 91* *not blind

Tweet and Taste - APRIL 13, 2010 - 7 pm!

Tuesday, April 12 - 7 pm CST, go onto Twitter, search #ttmi and follow along!

A bunch of people are going to be tasting some wine and talking about it on Twitter. Here's what's on the agenda:

2008 Dry Riesling
2007 Pinot Noir
2008 Blue Franc (Blaufrankish)

If you can't follow along on Twitter, come back around 9 pm and I'll put full notes on each of the wines up.

2004 The Furst Vin d'Alsace Riesling

So I was at a performance of a local theater company which had a silent auction going. They had a few different lots of wine which I bid on, and won. This is one of the wines in question. At a retail cost of $12, this is almost certainly too old to drink.

A slight petrol thing, some floral notes, with an array of unripe tropical fruit - pineapple and papaya.

Not a hint of sugar on this one - dry to the bone. A dried unripe fruit quality - take an unripe pineapple and dehydrate it, it probably tastes like this. Maybe some peach or nectarine, even melon of the cantaloupe variety, even a bit of green grape - once again, all unripe. Some floral qualities too, this may be the first wine (in quite a while, if not ever) that I've gotten very distinct rosewater from. Don't drink this one any colder than "cool," it is far better closer to room temp.

The dry, unripe, dried fruit thing continues on the finish.

Certainly well made, but not quite to my palate. If you have one of these in the cellar, it's probably time to pop it open.

Score: 85

N/V Albero Cava Brut

This is seven to eight bucks depending on where you live and it is a Trader Joe's exclusive.

A bit of white bread - not yeast, more clearly Wonder Bread - on the nose.

Light body, dry and crisp - just a hint of green apple with lemon dominating, if you swish wine around in tasting a slightly unpleasant lemon dust spray thing comes out.

The finish brings lemon, but to be clear it's not sour, almost lemonade, maybe just maybe a bit of an Arnold Palmer thing? I think so.

At seven bucks this isn't bad and is comparable to other cheap cava on the market, but by no means is it any sort or bargain. No flaws, but nothing great either.

Score: 80

2007 Argyle Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

The local wine shop has this $25, but I know it can be found for considerably less if you shop around.

A bit of raspberry on the nose.

Light, very light, for a red wine. Almost a dark pink - I've seen (albeit, unusual) roses darker than this. Cherry and raspberry is it with a bit of green pepper. Great acid, rather tart, and not a hint of sugar.

More cherry and a bit of grape stem on the finish.

This is a nice light bodied wine, thin, tart, but great for food. I liked this one, but it just hit me as being a tad too simple - if found at the $13 range I'd say it's worth a shot, but at $20ish all I can do is say pass.

Score: 85

Tweet and Taste #2! April 13, 2010

The second TWEET AND TASTE is coming up sooner than you'd expect.

Here's the Facebook fan page.

Here's the webpage run by Michigan By the Bottle.

Tuesday, April 13 - 7 pm central (8 pm EST) - log into Twitter, search #ttmi and you'll be in for some interesting discussion. The last Tweet and Taste was an outstanding success and I'm sure this one will be just as good.

For those unable to make it, a transcript will likely be up at Michigan By the Bottle and I'll be putting up formal notes on the bottles here.


The best part of this is the shipping deal:

Pick up the wines we are tasting at your local wine shop or online. Shady Lane Cellars is offering $.01 shipping on all wines through April 13th with no restrictions. They can ship directly to Michigan, Florida, and Minnesota. To qualify for the discounted shipping, email your order to info@shadylanecellars.com with "ttmi" in the subject line. All orders must be accompanied by a faxed (231.947.7616) or scanned copy of your drivers license. For orders outside these three states, call the Tasting Room (231.947.8865) to discuss options.



Nice? I know.

Here's what we're tasting:

2008 Dry Riesling
2007 Pinot Noir
2008 Blue Franc (Blaufrankish)


I'm stoked.

2007 Domaine Charvin Vin de Pays de la Principauté d'Orange à côté

It really does need to be repeated - put your young red wines in some sort of decanter for at least an hour before drinking. This wine was extremely tight for the first ninety minutes or so and really didn't come together until hour three. Eleven bucks at Binny's - many places online have it for fifteen - I snagged a bottle on a whim thanks to a Parker 90 point rave.

The nose has something kind of strange, almost a buffalo wing sauce quality comes through on the nose - spice as in hot pepper spice. There's also a cherry candy - red Starburst - thing.

Cherry and strawberry candy, generic sort of red fruit, with a dash of black pepper, menthol, and a bit of cigar, all with a slightly medicinal back palate. This is fairly light in body - when I think of medicinal wine, I think heavy and viscous, not so much here, which makes what can be perceived as a flaw into an interesting quirky quality.

More of that medicinal, menthol, minty, and cherry thing linger on the finish.

This was apparently aged for eighteen months in concrete - I'm not sure I've encountered a wine not aged in either steel or oak. Concrete...fascinating... Personally, I'd sit on this wine for another year or so before opening. I'm less thrilled than Parker, but considering the eleven dollar price tag, I also can't bash it.

Score: 85

N/V L Mawby Cremant Classic Cuvee 142

This $22 bottle is available through the winery. It is 100% Vignoles - an unusual 'hybrid' grape that you often find in less common wine regions - Missouri and Illinois make plenty, but it's also found in Michigan, and New York.

Just a bit of pink apple on the nose.

Pink and golden apples dominate. A bit of sugar, but tons of acid give it a nice crisp balance. As the wine warms a bit - and I recommend you give this a good hour out of the fridge before drinking - some interesting things happen. Blueberry and caraway qualities start to come out among other oddball things.

A bit of candied apple - maybe it's because of a recent comment on this site but I'll be damned if I don't get some orange Starburst lingering.

I recall drinking this in the tasting room and it pissing me off because it was so elusive. That's about right, I'm hesitant to score this without another bottle handy, but after trying it again I'm sure I'll feel the same. This wine is like The Stooges Fun House - it's good, but it can be frustrating. I am a fan.

Score: 90+

2007 45 North Pinot Noir

We visited 45 North over the summer and snagged a bottle because I found it to be well crafted and interesting – let's find out how it held up when tasted blind.

I normally don't mention color because I don't particularly see the relevance, but this is a very light Pinot Noir – it's perhaps only a shade or two darker than the some of the darker roses of the world.

A rather Burgundian nose – dirt, cola, even a tad of barnyard.

Light body, potent acid, raspberry dominates for fruit, though some cherry creeps in, all with a bit of cola and some herbal qualities. There's something here that I can't place, everything is light but there's this strange heaviness, something with the oak I'd guess, that gives it a unique dimension.

A herbal quality lingers on the finish – I'm going to call it at basil.

This review seems short, but only because this is one of those wines I got the notes down quickly and just enjoyed the rest of the bottle. $24 is nothing to sneeze at, but neither is a wine of this caliber. Here lies the bottle of a classy Pinot Noir from Michigan, my sole complaint is that I only bought one.

Score - 91

N/V Domaine Chandon Etoile Brut

This is another one of them bottles where the winery sells it - and declares the retail value - for $40, but many wine shops sell it for under $30. Let's just say it's a thirty dollar bottle. We loved the Etoile Rose, so let's give the Brut a whirl. I'll remind you this one was tasted blind.

Orange and honey on the nose - mild.

Orange - almost like an orange Starburst, not quite artificial, but definitely candy like - I also get a rather tart raspberry quality. Ever so slightly thick in mouthfeel. I do get some yeasty qualities - I think I get some toast, but the more I ponder it, the more I'm thinking it's caraway rye dough - more spicy, or even nutty, rather than toasty.

A nice bit of toast with marmalade comes out on the finish - quite nice - some lime and citron qualities come out way on the back finish as well.

At $30, this is a tad too steep for my wallet - the rose struck me as a better bottle all around. Not bad though...no sir. Not awesome either. But not bad. In fact, it's pretty good. Considering what some Michigan sparklers we've drinking lately hav been doing for 1/3 the price, this doesn't hold up.

Score: 84

Post #666

Welcome to the most "metal" post possible: #666.




I am using this post to present a new feature at The Wineauxs. MERCHANDISING!

T-shirts available now! Lunchboxes may be next. Coming soon: The Wineauxs Flamethrower. I expect to have an array of crap available on there soon.

Check out The Wineauxs Store and buy yourself, your significant other, your friends, and your kids some swag. I just got my shirt and I, a fairly picky fellow, am very happy with the quality.


To further celebrate - The Wineauxs have an official theme song/jingle. Check it out at the top of this, or any, page. The only requirement is you set your speakers to 11 - don't make 10 louder, play it at 11. Big thanks to Michael Rice from OperaNow! "the" opera podcast for putting it together.

N/V M Lawrence Detroit

This review very well may be a world premiere. This wine is not out yet - it will be released in the coming weeks but was made available as part of L Mawby's February mailing list shipment. It's part of the M Lawrence line and while I don't have my tasting sheet handy to be sure, the retail is something like $13. This was tasted blind, so do what you will.

Peach, kind of a peach Jolly Rancher sort of thing that I find most enjoyable.

More of that peach Jolly Rancher. Apricot comes through, nectarine, maybe some tangerine, but mostly stone fruit with a bit of spice - I'm not sure what is in this but if you're into Muscats with fizz, this will, be right up your alley. Sweet enough that I'd prefer to drink this as a dessert wine, but I am less tolerant of sugar than many. That being said, it's probably not sweet enough to be considered over the top - I can absolutely see this working for many people with a picnic or maybe spicy food. Sweet though it may be, I get some very nice acidic backbone, a very nice, almost lemony, tartness. For me, this would go perfect with some sort of fruit tart, fruit soup, sorbet, pie, or (non-chocolate) cake. On a hot summer day this would absolutely hit the spot.

The finish brings more of the same - peach candy with a bit of spice and acid.

A tremendous bargain. We'll be hitting the Traverse City area in a few months and at this point I don't even want to visit L Mawby because they'll eat up our entire budget.

Score: 90

2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Noir

This bottle retails for $25 through the winery. We tried this as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan - search #ttmi on Twitter and check out all the tweets!

Mostly cherry here on the nose with some very distinct earthy qualities - mud, rather than dirt.

Michigan Pinot Noirs are interesting, in a good way. I'd compare them somewhat to part New Zealand, part Pacific Northwest with a big dash of Burgundy thrown in. Definitely light in body, clear notes of strawberry with emphasis on the seeds, leaves, and even some stems - almost like an earthy strawberry tea. Maybe a light herbal or white tea with a bit of dirty strawberry jam mixed in. I do get a bit of sassafras, a hint of cocoa, and a dash of dirt, all with great acid and the slightest pinch of sugar. A good deal of funk but I'd definitely call this a mostly fruit driven wine.

More of that strawberry thing, but I'm also getting some raspberry notes.

$25 isn't cheap, so it depends on your budget, but compared to many Pinots we've had at this pricepoint, this is on par in quality.

This wine was not tasted blind and the bottle was comped. These facts do not intentionally cloud my description or rating, but full disclosure is a must.

Score: 87*

2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Barrel Aged Chardonnay

This bottle retails for $14 through the winery. Fans of this blog know The Wineauxs do not like Chardonnay as a grape or oaked whites in general. This can go one of several ways, but for whatever it's worth, we don't pull punches. We tried this as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan - search #ttmi on Twitter and check out all the tweets!

A little vanilla on the nose.

Relatively light on oak, a bit of vanilla, some lemon, definitely a fatter mouthfeel than I prefer, but compared to many Chards this probably a lighter style, which is good for my palate. This has, and I apologize for saying this, a quality that reminds me of snot. Wine fans know comparisons to disgusting things are often compliments and I do mean it as that.

More lemon and, yes, more snot on the finish.

I had a feeling just by the light color of this wine that we'd be alright with it, and sure enough we are. It's definitely a Chardonnay but the lighter style is welcome. Part of me expected to sample this and ditch the bottle, but now I'm thinking about getting some sort of fish, tuna steaks maybe, and polishing the rest off tomorrow.

This wine was not tasted blind and the bottle was comped. These facts do not intentionally cloud my description or rating, but full disclosure is a must.

Score: 85*

2008 Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling

This bottle retails for $16.50 through the winery. We tried this as part of the Tweet and Taste Michigan - search #ttmi on Twitter and check out all the tweets!

Grapefruit, I'm going to say mostly white grapefruit, on the nose.

Mostly grapefruit again, tart citrus, kind of a pomelo thing. After a bit of air, some very nice spicy pear qualities come through. I want to say this wine has a bit of sugar but the more I swirl it around and think about it, I do think this is one of these very fruity wines that gives more of an illusion of sugar than is actually present. Sugar or not, this has tons of acid - it leaves the mouth watering big time and begs for food. With a bit of air (and allowing it to warm up) I get some green apple candy - Green Apple Now and Later specifically - as well.

Yet again grapefruit on the finish, along with spice, and tons of acid - crisp indeed.

The downside of visiting the various wineries in the Traverse City area is that they all do Rieslings and they all do them fairly well, so there's an urge to try them everywhere you go - this leads to overkill and a painful tongue. That being said, this is one to check out. A solid offering, excellent balance, and a wine I'll be buying in the future.

This wine was not tasted blind and the bottle was comped. These facts do not intentionally cloud my description or rating, but full disclosure is a must.

Score: 90

Tweet and Taste - Monday, March 8!

The Tweet and Taste is happening in just a few hours... Monday, March 8, 7 pm CST/8 pm EST. 5 pm Specific Time. In that it starts, specifically, at 5 pm on the west coast.

I encourage you all to get on Twitter at that time, you don't actually need to sign up, just search #ttmi and Twitter will keep you updated. If you sign up, you can participate at least.

If you are unable to make it, Twitter does archive everything, so you can read what people had to say after the fact.

The three wines being discussed are:

• 2008 Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling
• 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Noir
• 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Barrel Aged Chardonnay

If Twitter really isn't your thing and you want nothing to do with it, I will have formal notes for each bottle up late in the evening on March 8. That, however, will be far less fun than the tweet-tastic fun that will happen.

Immense, colossal, gigantic kudos go out to Shannon from Michigan by the Bottle and Corynn from Black Star for making this come together. Follow them both on Twitter at @MichBytheBottle and @BStar2009. Also, anytime you tell someone about Michigan by the Bottle you must sing it to the tune of Message in a Bottle.

2007 Sopranos Chianti

I bought this for $10 on a whim - I enjoy tacky labels and I am a fan of cheap Chianti....I expected to not be much of a fan, but thanks to blind tasting I was kept honest.

The nose is like sniffing a cedar cigar box - big time tobacco and wood.

A firm punch of tobacco hit me immediately with this one - cedar comes out as well right away - cherry, plum, and some slightly underripe strawberry come through as well. Quite tart and acidic - a turn off for some, but I rather like the style. As the bottle opens, I do get a bit of a slightly sugary cola like quality - frequent readers know I am a sucker for cola, so this works nicely. Something I haven't gotten from a wine lately is that "garbage" quality I sometimes mention - difficult to describe and not necessarily (in fact, generally not) a bad thing. It's a weird sort of funk - a funkiness I associate with Italian wine - it is polarizing, but I quite enjoy it....kind of an earthy, smokey, barnyardy thing.

The finish is mostly - you guessed it - tobacco and cedar with a bit of red fruit, fading quickly, an ever so slight suggestion of menthol way in the back.

As a fan of cheap Chianti, you'll want to take this score with a grain of salt. I'm a bit ashamed to rate a gimmick wine so highly, but we keep it real here.

Score: 85

Interview

If you don't read Michigan By The Bottle already, you should.

Shannon and Cortney post all sorts of various news about Michigan wines as well as a video podcast every week or so where they discuss a different wine. The podcasts are short (too short perhaps) and informative. Let's be blunt, many - most? - wine podcasts out there aren't terribly good, their's is a keeper.

But the reason why I point them out now is because they interviewed me, as well as some of the other bloggers taking part in the Tweet and Taste coming up on March 8. I encourage you to read their site anyway, but if you're a reader of mine and are desperate for more ramblings, it's something to check out.

Tweet and Taste - soon!

You don't have much time left to prepare for the Tweet and Taste. It will be happening Monday, March 8 at 7 pm CST.

Details are here = Tweet and Taste Michigan!

A few wine bloggers - myself included - and some folks from Black Star Farms will be on Twitter, at the same time, talking about the following wines:

• 2008 Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling
• 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Noir
• 2007 Black Star Farms Arcturos Barrel Aged Chardonnay

It will be a fun time. To be honest, even I'm not 100% sure what to expect, so we'll see. Readers of this blog know I am not a Chardonnay fan, so I fear popping that one open.

Spoiler alert - I had, and enjoyed, the Riesling a few months back at Hot Woks, Cool Sushi (a goofy name for a pretty good restaurant on Michigan Avenue - perfect for Millennium Park/Art Institute/Symphony goers). I have a feeling the bottle will hold up to close scrutiny, but who knows?

2006 Chateau Ste Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

You may recognize Chateau Ste Michelle as a producer of widely available inexpensive wines - reds, whites, and sparklers - many of them quite good. In Chicago you can pretty much find their wines at any grocery store. This one is from their higher end line which are somewhat less widely available, but a decent wine shop should have them.

A slightly tight nose - vanilla, plum, and oak. It does open a bit to bring some blueberry in time.

Chocolate, plum, cherry, a little bit of vanilla, a touch of menthol, and even a Twizzler quality seems to be coming through - definitely a fruit forward wine. Tannins are present, but just mild enough (and with enough of that candy quality) that I think I'd call this somewhat lacking in structure, though that gripe is minor.

A lengthy finish with cherry candy for the most part with just the tiniest bit of nutmeg.

I did have about half a bottle left over and retasted a day later - I give this wine props as it actually improved. The flavors are basically the same, but the tannins seem more pronounced with the balance more in line. If you bought this, sit on it for a year...

Quite tasty indeed. This is about $25 at retail and has received a ton of praise from the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator....I'm less enthusiastic, but by no means do I completely dissent.

Score: 87

2006 Trader Joe's Reserve California Cabernet Sauvignon

I bought this on a whim figuring the Cabernet "Reserve" from Rutherford had to be decent, right? Let's find out - and I do remind you I didn't know what I was drinking when I wrote this.

Somewhat rotten raspberry with a bit of bubble gum on the nose.

Sugary - sort of like eating a cherry Starburst and washing it down with strawberry soda. There's a splash of acid that gives a bit of balance.

Several years ago we had some Charles Shaw which completely fell apart as the wine saw air - this one did the same. The first sip didn't seem all that bad, but after two hours this tasted like raspberries that came out of a fat man's jock strap post-triathlon.

Strawberry soda on the finish.

This tasted cheap on first pour and after a short amount of airtime became unbearable. The only reason I gave this that high of a score is because the first twenty minutes or so were at least drinkable. I have a policy where wines I'd score under 75 don't get reviewed unless they piss me off - if this was three bucks I'd still be offended - but ten? A failure of Bushian proportions.

Score: 68

2007 Dr. Jebediah Drinkwell's Meritage

This is a Trader Joe's exclusive blend - 60% Cab Franc, 27% Merlot, 11% Cab Sauv, 1% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot - quite a bit in there and strangely dominated by Cab Franc, no? Eight bucks, fun label - yep, sold.

Plum and black raspberry on the nose.

The palate brings a bit of menthol, mint, and cherry - almost like a cherry/mint toothpaste with a bit of cough syrup. Tannins are present, but the alcohol, acid, and tannins do come off a tad harsh. There's a somewhat off putting medicinal quality here - it's not all that bad, but it's definitely not great.

Cherry, or perhaps even ultra ripe farmer's market style strawberry, on the finish lingering with clove and tobacco.

It seems to me that the better Trader Joe's exclusive wines tend to be white - and to a lesser extent sparkling. The reds tend to be weak - here's an example.

Score: 78

N/V M Lawrence Sandpiper Batch #21

I just got my shipment in from L Mawby - the decision was difficult, do I put them all away and grab a beer, or since they're fairly cool already, pop one open? Sparkling wine always wins.

Strawberry - as in strawberry seeds - on the nose. Spicy nectarine notes as well, I don't know if anyone makes nectarine pie, but if they did, this is what the fill would smell like basically.

Crisp and dryer than I remember previous bottles being - tart cherry with a bit of spice - it's got that white cherry thing going on, I'm not sure if white cherries exist in nature, but they do in Slurpee form, and that - though in a peculiarly un-artificial sort of way - is what this reminds me of. Tart pink apples, pink grapefruit, what else is pink? Let's not go there.

The finish lingers for quite a while, with a very dry pear kind of quality - nice stuff.

This $10 Michigan sparkler annihilates - if you tell me a better sparkling wine at this pricepoint exists anywhere, I won't believe you. Outstanding.

Score: 89+* (not blind)

2005 Chateau D'Orscwihr Gewurztraminer Bollenberg

This retails for about $22 in the US. (Curiously, the 2007 on the winery's website costs nine Euros, but other American shops are selling various vintages – exact same label – for $20 or so).

The nose is mostly peach driven.

Fairly simple, peach and golden apple dominate, with a touch of vanilla, spice, and a fine balance of sugar and acid.

A very Gewurzy finish – a sort stewed, spiced apricot quality lingers for quite a while.

Alsace is known for making dry whites, but this is the second we've had from the region that has been rather sweet. A decent wine, but outrageous at $22. If you're in Europe and will be paying nine Euros then it may be worth a whirl, but I can't get behind this.


Score - 82

N/V R.L. Buller & Son Premium Fine Victoria Muscat

We don't have a lot of this style wine, so I didn't even bother attempting to do the whole "blind" thing. To keep it fair though, I did make Fran buy it - a trend I hope to continue. Twelve bucks for a half bottle at Costco - not exactly cheap, but a little goes a long way.

Caramel, brown sugar, and raisin on the nose.

Truly outstanding. Incredibly complex, deep, and delicious - raisin, vanilla, dried apricot, nuts, figs, maple syrup, toffee - thick, sugary, syrupy. There's also a distinct old timey sarsaparilla thing - makes me want to break out my widdling set.

The root beer really comes out late on the finish - we're talking a finish that lingers in the minutes.

This might not be for everyone - even those who like dessert wine may find it to be a bit much, but for me - I'm sold.

Score: 93+* (*not blind)

Just Grapes

If you're a wine fan and are ever in Chicago, I highly recommend hitting up Just Grapes. (I am getting no kickback or compensation for this post - just calling attention to a place I like.)

It's located about a block west of the Ogilvie Transportation Center, so very easy to get to via public transit.

It's a wine shop - good sized, plenty of options, at fair prices.

The thing that pushes it over the edge, to be blog post worthy, is they also have a pour it yourself tasting bar. You get a rechargeable card (minimum opening $10), they set you up with a glass, and then you can go around to the tasting pour and get some wines - check out the photos and info here.

Today, for twenty bucks, I was able to try around nine wines - decent sized pours, more than you'd get at your average store tasting, and since it's always open and not an "event" you don't have to worry about working your way to a table/bar while dealing with some the pushy characters who sometimes attend such things.

There are different ways to approach places like this - go for what you like and interested in buying, or - what I do - is go for stuff you don't normally drink. For example, I don't drink much Vinho Verde, Tempranillo, or Pinotage, but for six bucks I got good sized pours of four different wines. None of them worked for me, but at least I tried something different and did some experimenting for less than the cost of a bottle of Yellow Tail.

It's also a great spot because some of the wines at the bar are pricey - $50, $70, even $90 bottles are up there. The pours for those aren't cheap - $4.40 for the $90 bottle - but, how often can you try a bottle at that pricepoint for so cheap, if at all? The cheaper bottle samples are as low as eighty cents.

Take a look, give it a shot - I don't often endorse wine shops or bars, but this one easily earns it.

N/V Domaine Chandon Etoile Rose

This goes for $50 at the winery, but can be found for much less if you shop around. The prices on Chandon's website are obscenely high compared to what you can find at a wine shop. Etoile used to have bottle cap enclosures, but this came with a standard sparkler cork.

Fresh red raspberry on the nose. I rarely comment on color, but apparently this wine gets a splash of still full power Pinot Noir to give it a rather dark color.

The palate here has a striking amount of green tea powder – sort of like the green tea you get in green tea ice cream or Starbucks, rather than actual brewed green tea. It's interesting. That's not all – there's also a bit of toast, some yeast, strawberry, apple (golden and red), caraway – there's even an odd Crystal Pepsi thing going on. I don't want to go off on a tangent, but the fact that Crystal Pepsi has been discontinued for so long is a crime against humanity – perhaps the worst since, I don't know, the presidential election of Gerald Ford? That was such a dark day, few people acknowledge it even happened. Anyway – join the Facebook group here and let Pepsi Hussein Cola know how you feel.

Excellent length on the finish – rye toast, blueberry, and raspberry.

For about the price of two cans of Crystal Pepsi on eBay, this works alright.


Score - 90

N/V Gloria Ferrer Va De Vi Ultra Cuvee

We've had, and enjoyed, the entry level Ferrer Brut and Blanc de Noir - both nice bottles.

A bit of yeast – doughy, if you will – on the nose, with some lime notes.

Lime dominates the palate. Quite sweet really and slightly thick/viscous. On the back palate I'm getting a nice pink grapefruit quality. All the fruit has a somewhat candied quality.

A lengthy and fairly limey finish.

A decent wine in general, though admittedly not my style. Even with that taken into consideration, at the $20 pricepoint I'd expect a bit more.

Score: 81

N/V L Mawby Jadore

This $19 bottle is a blend of Vignoles, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay.

This may sound odd but to me this smells like pear, vanilla, and cooked, but unseasoned, chicken.

Tropical fruit all around. Papaya, mango, pineapple, even some mild coconut with a dash of lavender with golden apple, and some pie crust. I'm also getting a slight hint of pear and cinnamon all with some orange juice that's perhaps sat around just a few days too long.

More of those tropical fruit notes on the finish with the coconut really coming through.

For $19 this is a fairly reasonable bottle - the sweetness, to me, is enough to make it more of a dessert thing but I could absolutely see this working with Thai or Indian food.

Score: 88

2007 Cline Cashmere GSM

When I was a little girl in Panama, a rich American came to our town and he was wearing the softest most beautiful sweater. I said to him, "what do you call this most beautiful fabric?" and he said "they call it cashmere."

I repeated the words "cashmere, cashmere."

My friend Georgie bought a bottle of this. At retail this goes for about $15, but we had this at a restaurant so it ran us - ahem - considerably more.

This is a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre.

A big nose dominated with black fruit - cassis, plum, even some ultraripe blackberry.

For such a big nose, this is a rather smooth, soft - basically mild mannered - wine. Strawberry, cherry, black pepper, sassafras, cassis dominate - tannins present and smooth with acid well integrated.

A tad - just a tad - of heat on the finish with cherry and cassis lingering.

This is certainly a solid bottle - easy drinking, smooth, and enjoyable.

Strange thing about this bottle....it has a small red dot right on the front.

Score: 87* (*not blind)

2007 Two Lads Cabernet Franc

Two Lads....

Frequent readers of this blog know we love Two Lads - they were the first winery we visited in Traverse City and set the standard. Reviews of their wine have been strong here - but how much of that is bias? I like their aesthetics, I like the staff, I like the lads themselves - so when I crack open their wine do I like it because I genuinely do or because I want to? This, my friends, is why I switched to blind reviews. If this wine sucked, I'd say so - I genuinely don't care. Chalk it up to the power of suggestion and move on....I liked, but didn't love, this wine the first time we had it and even I didn't expect what follows...

Something about the nose reminds me of books - take a book, not a terribly old book, but not something brand new, flip through the pages right in front of your face and inhale - I get that. After some air time I get plum, menthol, and even some barnyard? Nice.

Solid - a distinct cedar chest quality, a bit of tobacco, cherry, and plum. There's a nice zing as well mid palate. This is a subtly complex wine - I'm getting sassafras way in the back palate, more of that (slight) menthol comes out as well. There's more - it's all subtle - and I'm content to just sit back and enjoy. The tannins are beautiful on this - integrated near flawlessly giving fantastic structure.

I get a bit of fuzzy tobacco on the finish - bite a cigar in half and let some of the tobacco get on your lips, it's that 'feel' (rather than the taste). Cherry cola and maybe some of that tobacco comes in...

Before the bottle was revealed I guessed this was a high end California Cab - instead I got a $25 Michigan Cab Franc. A twenty-five dollar Cabernet Franc from Michigan. Let that sink in. I give this the same score I gave a sixty dollar California Cab. Take note wine drinkers - this is the future.

Score: 94