THEWINEMONOLOGUES.COM: The TTMI wrap up. . . good wine, good friends and a game 6 Red Wing Win!

The TTMI wrap up. . . good wine, good friends and a game 6 Red Wing Win!

Armed with 4 bottles of Chateau Chantal wines, I was set Tuesday night for a chance to try some new vino with friends Kurt and Jill and my wife Jen, Tweet with others around the state about the wine, and watch game 6 of the Red Wings/Sharks series. Tweet and Tastes events are some of my most favorite wine events. For me, its a chance to enjoy some wonderful wine with my wife and friends, both in person, and through Twitter.

This past Tuesday we tasted Chateau Chantal's 2009 Unoaked Chardonnay, 2008 Proprietor's Reserve 'Trio', NV 'Twilight', and NV 'Virtue'. These wines were provided to me by Chateau Chantal.

Chateau Chantal's 2009 Unoaked Chardonnay was a delight to start the night with. Generally, I am not an 'oaked' Chardonnay fan. I think that winemakers overdo the oak on Chardonnay to the point that I don't taste the fruit. Instead, I taste 'buttered popcorn', 'smoke', and 'wood' (as in biting into a tree!). Chateau Chantal's 2009 Chardonnay does not touch oak at all. . . it is stainless steel fermented and is composed of two separate fermentations of estate grown grapes. Lemon, limes and pineapple were very present on the nose. The palate is full of granny smith apples, pink grapefruit, pineapple and minerality. This chard is pleasantly acidic with good balance and finish. If memory serves, this was the 'group favorite' of the night on Twitter. Suggested retail on this is $12.99 and it is, in my opinion, a STEAL at that price. Go get some for the summer months to enjoy on the porch or paired with chicken, fish or salads.

Many may not realize, but Chateau Chantal is "international" with property in Michigan and in Argentina, where they grow their Malbec. Our second wine of the evening features a varietal from Argentina. . . Torrontes. I am a big Torrontes fan and looked forward to trying this blend. Virtue is comprised of 36% Torrontes, 34% Riesling, 22% Pinot Blanc, and 8% Gewurtztraminer. On the nose, the tropical fruitiness of the Torrontes and the spiciness of Gewurtz comes through. The palate of Virtue also has tropical notes of pineapples, pear, apples followed in the mid-palate by the hint of spiciness found in Gewurztraminer. For my group, Virtue could have used a little more acidity to make it "jump" on the palate, but it was still well liked and at a suggested retail price of $11.49, it is well worth purchasing a bottle to see for yourself.

Next on our Tweet and Taste agenda was 'Twilight'. This Rose is a very interesting blend of 95% Michigan Riesling and 5% Argentine Malbec. Twilight is another great example of a 'summer sipper' or a wine that would pair well with salads, chicken, and particularly goat cheese (which we had!). It is deep pink in color and at 2.9% residual sugar, has a mild amount of sweetness to it. The nose has wonderful hints of watermelon, strawberry and rhubarb. The palate displays bright watermelon, strawberry, and raspberry characteristics. For me, this wine was my favorite of the night and, as it warmed in the bottle, it opened up more to enhance the tastes I got when it was chilled. Twilight us a delight and at a suggested retail price of $12.99, it is WELL worth the effort to find or even order from the winery.

Our last wine of the evening was the 2008 Proprietor's Reserve 'Trio', so named for its three varietal blend of Merlot (73.1%), Cabernet Franc (24.5%) and Pinot Noir (2.4%).   On the nose, there are hints of tobacco, plum, and vanilla. The palate presents flavors of dark berries, vanilla, plum, and hints of chocolate. Winemaker Brian Hosmer noted that this wine seems to be going through a 'difficult' stage and may need another year of two to get out of that stage. I would agree. The initial tastes on the palate are very nice, but as the wine hits the mid-palate and back-end, the flavors fade. With a little more time in bottle, this could be very nice. Suggested retail on this is $19.99 and probably worth an investment in a few years, or today, to hold for a while in cellar.

As I usually do, I had a great time tasting and tweeting about the wines of a great and iconic Michigan winery.  If you have not visited Chateau Chantal (Kurt, I am calling you out!), GO! The 65 acre site sits at the top of a ridge 12 miles north of Traverse City on the Old Mission Peninsula. The unparalleled views of both bays, as well as it beautiful bed and breakfast makes this a perfect destination on your Michigan wine travels.

Much thanks to Marie-Chantal Dalese and Brian Hosmer at Chateau Chantal for being wonderful hosts. Also, big props to Shannon and Cortney Casey of Michigan by the Bottle for their continued efforts to promote Michigan wines through these Tweet & Taste events. If you have not taken part in these events, you should. The next Tweet & Taste is June 15th!  Please join us!

Cheers. . . and GO WINGS!