Author Archives: George Heritier

Two Great Lakes Reds From the Cellar

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“These cold climate reds are never going to achieve the kind of ripeness
you’d find in, say, Napa or Sonoma, nor should they.”

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The two regional Bordeaux blends in this report had been resting patiently in our cellar for the last decade, but lately, I’ve been eying them with some trepidation. I was worried that they might be getting a bit long in the tooth, and wouldn’t show nearly as well as they might have a few years ago. The Left Foot Charley Cadia was gifted to me after my first musical performance at LFC by owner/winemaker Bryan Ulbrich. The Tawse Cab Merlot was purchased around the same time from the winery, during one of our visits to our partner-in-crime, Alan Kerr aka Canadian Zinfan, of Gang of Pour infamy. A few nights ago, I finally decided that it was time to pull corks and see what we have been sitting on for so long.

We’ve been fans of Left Foot Charley from the very beginning. We like everything they make, be it red, white, bubbly or cider, but our focus until now has been more on their Pinot Blanc and Rieslings, which have been top-notch. This was the maiden voyage for LFC’s Cadia, which has so far only been bottled in 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2017, according to their online media guide.
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Three from Mary Taylor Wines

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“Definitely a 2nd glass kind o’ wine for this taster, and maybe a 3rd glass too.”

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I guess I haven’t been paying attention lately, because I only found out about Mary Taylor Wines a few weeks ago. Mary Taylor is a negociant who specializes in importing “the kind of honest, authentic wines that the Europeans have been enjoying for centuries.” These are “wines of place,” sourced from classic European wine regions and made by specific winemakers from each. They are the kinds of wines that I have come to favor over the years, and based on the three noted here, I’ll definitely be looking for more of them. There are more than 30; you can read about them on her website, as well as Ms. Taylor’s philosophy that drives her business model.

My introduction to Mary Taylor Wines came a few weeks ago, during a stop at York Ann Arbor, formerly known as Morgan and York. After our friend and colleague Chaad Thomas shared some background information about the following selection, I had to pick one up and see what it was all about. Man, am I glad I did.
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Bastardo’s Best Buy in Rosé and More

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“This light pink delight delivers more intensity
than one might expect for so few dollars.”

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There are no seasonal restrictions when it comes to rosé at our house. We drink the stuff all year around. Rosé is versatile, and can be enjoyed with a wide range of food, or all by itself as a solo sipper. La Vieille Ferme, the entry level brand of Famille Perin, the Perrin family of Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape fame, has been making good dry rosé for several years. The current vintage available in our neighborhood is 2021, and it’s good enough to rate a “Bastardo’s Best Buy” for exceptional QPR and availability.
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Two Malbecs

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“If you’re looking for good values in Malbec, these both fill the bill.”

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A few weeks ago, a friend mentioned to me that he had enjoyed some Malbec the night before, and that got me to wondering: what Malbecs are available in southeastern Michigan at the price range this blog is focused upon, anywhere from $10-20? It’s been a while since I’ve had any of the stuff, probably more than five years, and I’ll admit, I haven’t paid much attention to what’s out there.

Many think of the variety as Argentine, where it flourishes since first being introduced in the mid-1800s, but in fact, it is native to the Cahors region of southwest France. It is also used as a blending grape in Bordeaux and, to a lesser extent, in the Loire Valley, where it is known as “Cot.”

During a recent day trip to Ann Arbor, I found these two selections at Everyday Wines, in Kerrytown. They certainly hit the mark pricewise, so I decided to give them a try.
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Here We Go Font du Loup

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“It’s wines like this that make me happy to be blogging again.”

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We’ve been fans of Chateau de la Font du Loup’s fine Chateauneuf du Papes and Côtes du Rhônes for more than a decade. We’ve also had the distinct pleasure of spending time with co-owner Anne Charlotte Melia-Bachas on several occasions, eating great food and drinking the Chateau’s marvelous wines. Anne Charlotte and her husband, co-owner Laurent Bachas, prefer the freshness of a younger wine and strive for elegance in everything produced at Font du Loup, and this one is a perfect example.
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Two Crisp Critters

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“Both of these are eminently food friendly.”

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I finally got around to stopping in at the Novi Total Wine & More outlet that opened in the area not that long ago. It was just a “scouting mission,” intended more to see what they had on the shelves, especially in my “QPR” range ($10-20), than to make any serious purchases. As anyone who’s been to one of these places knows, they are big, well-laid out booze warehouses, with a massive selection of wine, beer and liquor, along with a wide variety of alcohol paraphernalia and related specialty food items. These guys are supposed to be known for their low prices, but a cursory search found only one of the wines already reviewed here, the ‘19 Ridge Vineyards Three Valleys, and it was a buck more than the best price I’m getting it for.

I did find a couple of QPR All-Stars, however (there are plenty more, no doubt, I just need the time to look more closely). One is an old friend, in the form of a tasty Albariño, while the other is a rosé from Provence that’s new to us. Both of these are eminently food friendly.
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Muscadet I Say

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“It’s what I’m buying for white wine these days…”

The wines from Muscadet Sevre et Maine probably aren’t for everyone. I have a lot of friends who really enjoy these whites for their racy minerality, but I also know at least one very cool wine dude who simply can’t abide. (I won’t mention your name, Bob!) The appellation lies about as far west in the Loire Valley as you can go without wandering into the Atlantic. The grape variety, Melon de
Bourgogne, is hardly fashionable, but it’s perfect for this region when the wine is made well. Not surprisingly, they are excellent with seafood.

I’m always on the lookout for good Muscadet, and this one does more than yeoman’s duty, especially at this price.
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Two Beauties from Salento

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“This delivers an almost perfect balance between the primary and secondary characteristics of a mature, 10-year old red wine.”

(UPDATE 3/3/23: Today, I found a stash of the 2013 Copertino Riserva for $13.99 at Plum Market West Bloomfield. This is the best price I’ve found, for the better of the two vintages reviewed here. I brought three bottles home, but there is plenty more available for the intrepid wine buyer.)

The reds from Puglia, and particularly those from the Salento neighborhood, have intrigued me for decades, going back to the delicious Taurino Notarpanaro and Salice Salentino we enjoyed so much in the late ‘80s through the mid-90s. When I saw this one on the shelf at Western Market in Ferndale a few days ago, I grabbed one with barely a second look; I don’t think I even noted which vintage it was. We loved the 2008 vintage, and went through a bunch of it, so this is an automatic buy for me.
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The Whole Cluster

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“This Michigan Riesling would make a great match for trout
harvested from a Michigan lake or stream…”

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Michigan has been a Riesling state for as long as wine has been made here, and Chateau Grand Traverse (CGT) led the way on Old Mission Peninsula right from the get-go in the mid-70s. We’ve been fans of their Whole Cluster Riesling for quite a few years, going back to when it was one of Sean O’Keefe’s “specialty wines” at his family’s winery. Sean has since moved on to make very fine wine at Mari Vineyards, while CGT has continued producing this bottling without a hiccup. When I saw the latest vintage a few days ago at a decent price, I didn’t hesitate to pick one up, and it was a very good choice indeed.
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Love for Le Ronsay

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“We like Brun’s wines a lot. They are totally devoid of guile, pretense or artifice.”

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As I was enjoying this wine a few nights ago, I couldn’t help but recall with some amusement the clique that used to dominate a certain major publication’s wine forums back around the turn of the century. These guys worshiped high-end California Cabs and First Growth Bordeaux. They had more dollars than sense, and were prone to spewing the bloated (not to mention bogus) notion that Gamay is somehow a second-class grape variety not worthy of serious consideration.

Anyone who’s had good Beaujolais, and in particular, the wines of Jean-Paul Brun knows what a ridiculous assertion this is. We’ve had a number of them over the years, ranging from Brun’s Domaine des Terres Dorees Beaujolais l’Ancien Vieilles Vignes to his Morgon and Moulin-à-Vent, and they have never failed to please. The selection reviewed here may be labeled “Beaujolais,” but it drinks like one of the more prestigious crus. As I wrote back in 2009, “We like Brun’s wines a lot. They are totally devoid of guile, pretense or artifice.”
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