Tasting Old Mission Peninsula Wines

I've long considered Old Mission Peninsula to be one of the best sources of wine in Michigan. So on a recent trip to Traverse City, I took the opportunity to taste a few.

Old Mission is a sliver of land, about three miles wide and nineteen miles long, that juts into Grand Traverse Bay north of Traverse City. It was named an official appellation in 1987 but wine enthusiasts recognized the unique qualities of Old Mission wines long before that time. Vines are constantly exposed to cool breezes from the lake and get unobstructed southern sun exposure. The lake also provides a moderating influence and protection from spring frosts.

CHATEAU GRAND TRAVERSE: During the 1980s, Chateau Grand Traverse was the only Old Mission winery that I knew about, and I enjoyed the CGT dry Riesling frequently. The 2007 was one of my favorites on this visit as well. Well defined apple and pear flavors are nicely balanced against citric acidity. This is not a showy wine but a good choice to accompany seafood. (I enjoyed it last summer with whitefish at the Blue Bird in Leland.) My other top choice from Chateau Grand Traverse was the 2007 Late Harvest Riesling. Compared to the "Sweet Harvest Riesling," it's a much deeper, more serious wine. Flavors are concentrated and interesting enough to drink on its own after a meal or to accompany dessert. I also enjoyed the 2006 Ship of Fools, a blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. It's an aromatic wine with dramatic aromas and flavors. These probably come from leaving the wine on its spent yeast cells, creating a "leesy" rather than "oaky" trait which can be quite enjoyable at the front end of a meal.

CHATEAU CHANTAL: I simply can't go to Old Mission Peninsula these days without visiting Chateau Chantal, but I have to admit that I'm attracted as much by the view from the winery as by the wines. Perched at the top of a vine-covered hill, the winery offers a spectacular view of the Bay from either side. Standing outside the winery, I always feel as if I've been transported to Tuscany.

I've always enjoyed the Chateau Chantal Malbec. But, of course, this big, full-bodied red did not come from vineyards in Northern Michigan. The owners bought a vineyard in Argentina where Malbec is king. My favorite Chateau Chantal wine from this tasting was the 2005 Proprietors Reserve Pinot Noir. Even from the warm 2005 vintage, the color is only medium deep compared to most West Coast Pinot Noirs. But there's nothing shy about the aromas and flavors. The wine has had some barrel aging but it's fruit rather than oak that strikes me from the first sniff.

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY: There's no view at Left Foot Charley's. The winery and tasting room are in an old building at Grand Traverse Commons--a trendy development of shops and offices in what was once the site of a state mental hospital. Both the winery and tasting room are immaculate and high tech, and the staff there are anxious to talk about things that matter to a wine enthusiast: vineyards, grapes and growing seasons. These are serious wines, and I was impressed by the quality. Every wine I tasted was very good now but with the promise of more to come. In fact, I was told that the Pinot Blanc and Riesling would age well for 10 to 12 years.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to taste the Pinot Grigio; it was sold out. The 2007 Pinot Blanc from Island View Vineyard, however, was a good introduction. I don't think I can do any better than the winery's own description of this wine: "chin drenching, gritty, overripe, juicy yellow pears." At this stage, though, "overripe" may be misleading. There's a very pleasant tartness that keeps me coming back for more. For my tastes, I would try this wine again in three to five years; then, I think, the "overripe" pears will be singing even louder than they are today. The 2007 Old Mission Peninsula Dry Riesling is even more backward, but the apple/lime/citrus aromas and flavors are concentrated and well defined. Again, I would like to taste this wine with three to five years of aging.

At Left Foot Charley's, I also tasted the 2007 Leelanau Peninsula Chardonnay (limey French oak traits framing elegant Chardonnay fruit); the 2007 Leelanau Peninsula Gewurztraminer (all the Gewurz perfume and spice in a dry, somewhat-high-alcohol format) and the 2007 Red Drive, a blend of Dornfelder, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Regant from Old Mission Peninsula. Red Drive is not for those who like high-powered New World Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz. It's rather a medium bodied, light-colored red that has the drinkability of a Loire Valley Chinon or Cab Franc. It's not tannic, but I would guess that it has enough acid for graceful aging.

Gabbiano Chianti, 2006

At $4.50 a glass at TraVino Restaurant north of Traverse City, this has to rank as one of best values I have encountered. Most house wines are either innocuous or all dressed up with oak chips. This Gabbiano Chianti offers honest fruit aromas and flavors--dark cherry and mushrooms--in a traditional format. There is no evidence of new oak or oak chips, but there are plenty of fruit tannins to give substance and backbone. A delightful match for Gorgonzola-crusted strip steak.

Gabbiano wines are widely available and decent values for about $8 to $12 a bottle. All that may change soon as the Australian makers of Foster's Beer have purchased the property and plan to "modernize" the wines. No thanks, I say.

Chapoutier Cotes du Rhone Belleruche, 2006

Chapoutier has vineyards in Hermitage in the Northern Rhone but for this simple Cotes du Rhone, he buys grapes from growers near Sablet and Seguret in the Southern Rhone. He clearly made some good choices; this is an admirable example of a negotiant's Cotes du Rhone.

The color is deep and dark, and the wine is relatively big boned. It is more like the Trois Couronnes than the Pont du Rhone. Aromas and flavors include freshly ground black pepper, red berries, dark cherries and garrigue. Flavors are sharply defined and there are no sharp edges or alcoholic heat. The deep color and body can probably be attributed to a lengthy maceration on the skins. The wine was raised in stainless steel with no oak contact.

Chapoutier's wines are ordinarly not available in my marketing area. I chose a glass of Belleruche ($8) to accompany an excellent entree of lamb shanks with beets and parsnips at Amical Restaurant in Traverse City.

Pont du Rhone Prestige Cotes du Rhone, 2006

I enjoyed the 2007 of this wine earlier [August 31, 2008] and described it as a charming introduction to the 2007 Southern Rhone vintage with its yeasty, upfront red berry smells and tastes. This 2006 gives a good indication of where the 2007 is headed. And I approve.

The 2006 Pont du Rhone Prestige is fruity but considerably deeper at this stage than the 2007 with pepper, tobacco and black fruits adding backbone and substance. It's spicy in the Cotes du Rhone mode and has just the right amount of warmth and ripeness. The medium long finish is ripe but leaves a pleasantly spicy impression that goes well with a tomato-based pasta sauce. This is not a simple wine, although it is inexpensive ($5.99 at Trader Joe's).

Pont du Rhone is produced by duPeloux, a Southern Rhone negotiant. The Valreas available at Trader Joe's for the same price is also a duPeloux production.

Folie a Deux Menage a Trois California Red Wine, 2006

If you're a casual wine drinker, you're going to love this wine. If you're seriously interested in wine, you're also going to find a lot to like. And at $8 to $10 a bottle, it's a good choice for frequent drinking. I paid $10 a glass for Menage a Trois Red at a fancy restaurant beside a creek bank in Sedona, Arizona and did not feel at all cheated.

Menage a Trois refers to the sexy mix of three grapes--Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The grapes were fermented separately and then blended just before bottling. Zinfandel dominates the nose--fresh blackberry cobbler, ripe and straightforward. Lurking in the background though are more subtle smells of black cherries and currants. On the palate the wine is smooth and full bodied. It's fresh and fruity but not at all trivial. Menage a Trois has the texture and feel that Cabernet lovers expect from a serious wine but with the soft, rounded finish of a young Merlot.

For me, this is the New World equivalent of La Vieille Ferme. It has everything you might want in a wine in a drink now format. I believe it's available right now at Cost Plus World Market for $8.99.

Domaine Sainte-Anne Cotes du Rhone Villages Cuvee Notre Dame des Cellettes, 1998

This wine is not going to knock your socks off, and that's why I like it so much. As the Winedoctor pointed out on his excellent web site four years ago, this is a "drinker's wine which has a lovely, elegant style."

It's medium deep, still looks young. The nose is a bit reticent, still young. After 15 to 20 minutes in the glass, it opens up a bit, revealing scents of fresh cherries and black raspberries, deeper and more complex even than Sainte-Anne's Cotes du Rhone or Cotes du Rhone Villages (both excellent wines). Grenache is 60% of the blend, but at this stage the wine smells more like Syrah--reminiscent of a good Hermitage or Cote Rotie from the Northern Rhone. There's Mourvedre in the blend too, but it's still a bit shy, with only hints of the characteristic spiciness. In the mouth, it's appropriately ripe and very classy with a silky texture. The wine has substance and concentration without thickness, tannins or alcoholic warmth. Beautiful.

This Cotes du Rhone Villages is drinking beautifully now, but I have no qualms about keeping a few bottles for another five or even ten years. I'm looking forward to more of the Mourvedre spiciness.

Clos Saint Jean Les Calades Vin de Pays de Vaucluse, 1998

Now this is my style--a mature wine offering gentle but persistent flavors of complex fruit, herbs and spice--Grenache at its best. Yes, I know that it's a Vin de Pays, and I paid only about $5 for it nearly a decade ago. But tonight I can sit back and savor it as if it were a priceless treasure.

It has a mature Grenache color; it has lightened considerably since its youth. The nose is also typical of mature Grenache--dried and fresh strawberries with hints of black pepper, spice and Provencal herbs. The flavors are savory, almost salty, but also very ripe and compact like a rich fruit cake. Everything about this wine is gentle and laid back. One sip leads to another.

Don't get me wrong; very few Vin de Pays wines are capable of aging this well. I experimented first with one bottle of the 1994 (consumed in 2004) and the 1995 (consumed in 2005). Then I laid away a case each of Les Calades from three very good vintages--1998, 2000 and 2001--for drinking over an eight to ten year period. So far, I have no regrets.