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Wine Recommendation
Chateau Grand Traverse
2002 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Estate(Old Mission Peninsula)
Pioneer winery on Michigan's Old Mission Peninsula, Chateau Grand Traverse, founded in 1974, made its claim to fame with dynamic Rieslings from bone dry to its sought-after dessert style ice wine. "We've been making sparkling wines for a few years," said winery owner Ed O'Keefe III, "but we've not commercially marketed them. We will now, because we'll have 150 cases of the 2002 Blanc de Blancs."
The base wine for this sparkler is very close to Chateau Grand Traverse’s Ship of Fools, a blend of Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay. It's crafted by méthode-traditionnelle, meaning the second fermentation occurred in the bottle.
A fine, steady bead introduces this dry, brut-style. Aromas reveal a core of fresh fruit with Pinot Gris characters dominant. Bubbles break delicately in the mouth revealing delightful white fruit flavors that linger and invite many retastes. At its price, it's the value Blanc de Blancs made in America. Drink it with any food, except beef, and as often as you can!
This wine won Best of Class Sparkling Wine at the 29th annual Michigan Wine & Spirits Competition.
Reviewed November 29, 2006 by Eleanor & Ray Heald.
Other Awards & Accolades
Gold Medal/Best of Class - 2006 Michigan Wine and Spirits Competition
The Wine
Winery: Chateau Grand Traverse |
The Reviewer
Eleanor & Ray Heald
The Healds have been writing about wine since 1978 and have focused on appellation significance in many of their world beat writings. They value recognizing site personality (terroir) within an appellation's wines. They praise balance and elegance in wines styled to pair well with food and eschew over-extraction, high alcohol and heavy-handed oak. “Delicious” is their favorite descriptor for a great, well-made wine. |