Marland Winery Visit
Wyncroft Winery, South Haven, Michigan
Tasted September 9, 2014 by Vino Me with 1,175 views
Introduction
Two weeks ago I paid a visit to Jim Lester of Wyncroft Winery to check out his new facility just outside South Haven, Michigan. During my visit he poured 4 new wines that he is going to put out under a new label called Marland. This new label is meant for sale in retail stores and restaurants (by the glass or bottle) in Michigan and Jim has finally partnered with distributors for the distribution of this wine. His Wyncroft label is sold by mailing list only and occasionally in high end restaurants Michigan and Chicago.
The first vintage for these wines will be 2013 and I don't believe any had been shipped to retail yet at the time of my tasting. All of the wines are going to retail in the $17-18 range which is a very fair price. 2013 was a generous vintage in Michigan which coupled with his new winery gave him the ability to undertake this project. Here are my notes on the wines:
Flight 1 (4 notes)
White
2013 Marland Chardonnay Non Affecté
USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore
Tasted a tank sample at the winery. This was going to be bottled within a week or so after I tried it. This was a very interesting Chardonnay. The fermentation in stainless steel of this wine stopped because of the extreme cold last winter and proceeded very slowly after that with the wine remaining on the lees. The fermentation finally finished in March 2014. A very savory nose on this wine. This received a full malolactic fermentaion but did not have the slightest hint of butteriness. Jim attributed this to a wild strain of bacteria which is native to Southwest Michigan (a French laboratory actually asked for a sample of the wine for testing). This wine had a yeasty and green apple taste with a steely profile. 87+ points.
White - Off-dry
2013 Marland Late Harvest Riesling
USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore
Tried this at the winery. The grapes were sourced from the Wren Song vineyard. This was only recently bottled. Jim stopped the fermentation to get a Spatleselike wine. I thought the sweetness level was at or slightly higher than what I would expect from a Spatlese but certainly in that ballpark. Very fresh and lively. Notes of white orchard fruit, peaches and a little tropical nuance. 87 points.
Rosé
2013 Marland Cabernet Franc Rosé of Cabernet Franc
USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore
Tasted this at the winery. This bottle had been opened for 1 day. The grapes are sourced from the Wren Song vineyard. This is made in a saignee style with the juice getting some skin contact to get the color. Some cranberry aromas but I found the nose to be somewhat muted (not sure if that was because of the bottle being opened or the fact that this had been recently bottled). A dry wine with notes of cherries and raspberries and a tartness to it. Nice finish. Wouldn't be surprised if this showed better with a little time in the bottle. 86 points.
Red
2013 Marland Cabernet Franc
USA, Michigan, Lake Michigan Shore
Tried a barrel sample at the winery. This was going to be bottled within a week. I believe the grapes are sourced from the Wren Song vineyard. Aged for 8.5 months in neutral French oak barrels. A violet red color and slightly cloudy at the present time. Made in a dry Chinon style. An earthy red with currant flavors and without any green notes. This had a good grip to it with solid tannins. A little gritty now but I expect that to resolve once bottled. Good density. should be a good value. 88-89 points.
Closing
VM
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