Good Harbor Leelanau Peninsula Zweigelt, 2020

Some wineries have been working hard trying to produce big, full bodied red wines from cool climate Michigan grapes. So far, I haven't been impressed by any of these wines but favor the leaner, spicier red wines such as the Gamay Noir of Chateau Grand Traverse and this Zweigelt from Good Harbor. It is a new offering from Good Harbor and, at the moment, available only to members of Good Harbor's wine club. I tasted it last week at the winery and was suitably impressed.

Medium deep garnet. Bursting with fresh fruit: red and black currants, cranberries, cherries.. I also smell and taste some blood orange fruit and peel but the dominant trait is crushed black pepper. Very peppery. Good acid structure and a complex finish featuring peppery spice and earth.

The $36 price tag ($28 for Wine Club members) is relatively low for red wines from Leelanau and Old Mission but may not compete with prices for Zweigelt and Blaufrankisch wines from their native Austria.