2020 Dablon Vineyards Tempranillo Tannat

Happy Sunday!  It's been a whirlwind of a day, went to church this morning, then to the airport to see a B-29 bomber, and then off to the Elkhart County Fair to see all the animals and tractors and now that I have a horrible sunburn, I am ready for a relaxing glass of wine and dinner.  Tonight, I've opened a bottle that a friend gave me a few weeks ago.  The 2020 Dablon Vineyards Tempranillo Tannat is a blend of Tempranillo (90%) and Tannat (10%) from the Dablon Estate Vineyard in Baroda, Michigan. I will admit, I am generally not a fan of Michigan red wines, though I have found a few gems over the years, let's see with this one is a gem.

The wine is a lighter bodied, ruby color in the glass and the nose presents aromas of green grass, dried herbs and cherry cola.  The first sip is a rather subdued combination of blackberry and tart cherry with quite a bit of acidity, which transitions to some dried herbs and smoke midpalalte.  The tannins are so subdued as to be unnoticable, yet the finish is tart and dry, but brief.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's interesting but typifies the challenge Michigan growers have with red varietals, though the lighter complexion would make this a plesant drinking summer red.  This wine would pair well with a range of summer fare, from barbecued ribs to burgers and brats.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a crispy skin Scottish black pearl salmon, steamed rice and some steamed Italian green beans.  Cheers!

2021 BigLITTLE Wines Open Road Rosé

Happy Sunday!  It's been bitter cold here, like so much of the country right now, so I've been huddling indoors, doing laundry and cooking and trying to stay warm!  Given that summer and rosé season seem so far away, I've decided to open a bottle of a Michigan rosé that some friends sent me for Christmas.  The 2021 BigLITTLE Wines Open Road Rosé is a blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling and Marechal Foch from the Leelanau Peninsula in northern Michigan.  So, let's see if this wine can bring back the summer!

The wine is a deep peach and rose color in the glass, just as you'd expect for summer sipping on the patio.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of strawberry, melon and hints of apple, certainly bringing back some warm weather vibes.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of crisp and tart fruit, tart cherry, apple, and melon that will have you ready for a summer dip in the lake.  The finish is short, but crisp and dry, inviting you to sip this with a meal or just some conversation with friends.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely departure from many of the sweeter wines I've tasted from Michigan.  This wine would pair well with summer salads, tacos, pizza or smoked barbecue.  Tonight, I've taken a different path and am enjoying this wine with some coconut crusted cod, steamed rice and fresh asparagus with hollandaise.  Cheers!

2017 Noirvana Pinot Noir

Happy Taco Tuesday (I bet you'll never guess what's for dinner tonight!) and let's have some wine!  Tonight I've opened a bottle of Michigan wine, and you know I'm not such a big fan of Michigan wines, but a friend of mine gave be this bottle for Christmas, and it's made by her boyfriend's family, so I had to give it a try.  The 2017 Noirvana Pinot Noir is from the Karma Vista Vineyards in Coloma, Michigan, so let's see how this wine is tasting.

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity, just a touch darker than you might expect from the varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass reveals aromas of cherry, currant, lavender and oak, with virtually none of the funk that's usually present with a Pinot Noir.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a rush of ripe red fruit, cherry, strawberry and raspberry that transition to some classic earthy elements of tar and dusty limestone that are classically associated with the varietal.  The tannins are nicely developed and firm enough to support a supple dry finish that lingers on the palate.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's one of the better Michigan red wines I've tried, and likely would be a good comparison to many west coast Pinot Noirs.  This wine would pair well with a variety of more elegant dishes, from herb crusted rack of lamb, venison tenderloin or a classis risotto.  But, since it is Taco Tuesday, I am enjoying this wine with some steak fajita tacos, topped with cheese, sour cream and some fresh jalapeno.  Cheers!

Cogdal Vineyards NV Merlot

Happy Friday!  Tonight will be busy as I have theater tickets and I'm trying a new recipe for dinner, but at least I have some time for wine!  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of Cogdal Vineyards non-vintage Merlot from the shores of Lake Michigan.  I visited this winery located just north of South Haven, Michigan a few years ago and was impressed with a few of their wines.  Although this one is non-vintage, I can confirm that it's been sitting in my cellar for at least 3 years, so let's see how it tastes.

The wine is a lovely garnet color in the glass with nice clarity, just a bit lighter than you'd expect for a Merlot.  The nose is a combination of light floral notes intermingled with hints of leather and tart cherry.  The taste is a rush of cool red fruit, cherry, raspberry and plum that transitions to the faintest hints of vanilla bean before a reprise of tart cherry hits you on the end.  The tannins are evolving, at first subdued and then somewhat sharp as you get the full effect of the pleasant, very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, which is pretty good for a local wine.  This wine is also quite food friendly, as I could see myself enjoying this with anything from burgers and pizza to tacos and steak.  But tonight, the meal is the star of the show as I was recently inspired by a television show about the food trucks of Austin, Texas which featured Chi'Lantro, a Korean-Mexican fusion that came up with Kimchi Fries late night to satisfy their drunk customers exiting the bar scene.  So tonight I've created a slight variation of Kimchi Tots! This was a sort of hybrid creation similar to how Chi'Lantro came up with their creation, combining a lot of what they had left in the food truck at the end of the night.  For me, I made the tots and simmered some leftover braised short ribs that I shredded with the kimchi, put that over the tots, sprinkled some cheese and sriracha and garnished with some Thai basil.  Voila, a new spicy creation!  Cheers!

Cogdal Vineyards Little Man Winery Big Lake Red Table Wine

What an eventful day!  My uncle and cousin were doing a Midwest road trip and decided to come for a visit last night and stayed for breakfast and church before they went off to visit some other relatives in central Indiana.  After they left, I decided to go to the outlet mall and then up to Lake Michigan for the afternoon, mainly to restock my olive oil and aged balsamic from the Olive Cart in South Haven, Michigan.  Which brings me to the wine I've decided to open tonight, the non-vintage Cogdal Vineyards "Little Man Winery" Big Lake Red Wine, after seeing the big lake this afternoon, how could I not open a Big Lake Red?  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is somewhat lighter in color, a bit of a cross between Pinot Noir and a Merlot, with nice clarity.  The nose presents aromas of green grass, mint and a hint of pipe tobacco.  The taste is quite nice, with a rush of ripe black fruit up front, blackberry, black cherry and kirsch that transition to some warm spice notes midpalate.  The finish is somewhat subdued, with mild acidity and mellow tannins supporting a smooth dry finish.

My view of the big lake in Saint Joseph, Michigan!

Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big fan of my local red wines, as so much of it lacks depth or more often is just a sweet cherry fruit bomb, but having visited this winery, they have made some good progress with nice dry red wines and this one is no exception, so I'd rate it a solid 8.  An easy drinking red blend like this should be easy to pair with a variety of dishes, but as always I had to make it challenging, so tonight I'm enjoying this wine with panko crusted pork chops with some pasta and fresh green beans.  The subdued fruit and mild acidity of this wine makes it a prime target for pork, cheers!