Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsulas in Michigan, with the cool, lake-influenced climate, are probably best suited for Rieslings. From my visits in the early 1980s, though, my favorite wines were made from Vignoles--high in acidity but with the full bodied mouth feel of a Chardonnay. I bought a case of the 1982 Vignoles from Bernie Rink at Boskydel. And when I finally got around to opening the final bottle about five years ago, it was by far the best of the lot.
Bernie, 84, the elder statesman of Leelanau wine, was not at all surprised that his wine aged so well; nor was his son, who now handles much of the winemaking duties. Vignoles has the acid needed to carry on; and the Rinks believe in good old-fashioned wine-making with no tricks to make the wine show well early and then fall apart prematurely. When I went last year to buy a case of Boskydel's Vignoles from the excellent 2008 vintage, I was disappointed that it was all gone. At that time, Bernie warned me that the 2009 Vignoles would be "light," but that didn't deter me one bit once I tasted it last week. Good, lively citrus aromas and flavors with a full range of flavors on the mid-palate and finish. I'm looking forward to drinking it over the next 5 to 10 years.
Don't take your credit card to Boskydel; but if you're ready to buy wine by the case (40% discount), you may not need it. For $69.90 (tax included), I got a case of 2009 Boskydel Vignoles. This is the best wine buy on the planet, I said as I wrote out the check. But please don't change your prices...or your wine, I was thinking.
Other wines worth considering at Boskydel are the white Soleil Blanc (made mostly from Seibel) and the red and rose deChaunac. I bought a case of the Soleil Blanc last year when the Vignoles was not available.
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