Good Harbor Michigan Chardonnay, 2007

This is one of the last Chardonnays produced by Bruce Simpson before his untimely death. And it is very good. As the label explains, the 2007 autumn was pleasant, and the grapes were harvested in good condition. It's interesting to note that the label claims only the generic "Michigan" appellation even though the grapes came from the estate vineyard on Lake Leelanau and the Big Paw Vineyard of a neighbor.

The bouquet still has notes of vanilla-tinged oak but also distinctive Chardonnay fruit--apples, peaches, citrus. It's at a good stage of development with the fruit and oak playing off each other nicely. It has a slight leesy quality but not as much as you'd expect from a wine left on its lees for five months. The strength of this wine, for me, is the good balance of fruit and acidity.