A Personal Visit to Chateau Fontaine Tasting Room, Lake Leelanau, Mi 7/4/2013

During a motor home vacation to my hometown, Lake Leelanau, Mi, I had the opportunity to sneak off from family activities to visit this very interesting tasting room. I grew up less than 3 miles away, and spent 4 college summers shaking cherries literally across the street, long before this became wine country. One interesting note we learned, and I noticed on the trip up the driveway, was how in Leelanau County they grow rows of Pinot Gris vines following the tips of the ridge, which is plainly evident. July 4th is the major holiday in Leelanau, when the tourists outnumber the locals by many multiples. Even though I walked in exactly at opening time, I was not alone, and by the time we finished tasting every wine that was not nailed down, there were probably 30 people visiting. This place and these wines are extraordinary. The climate, at the 45th parallel, and the glacial deposits topography, tend to make wines that are somewhat Alsatian in character, but even more light and elegant. I have spent every free moment studying and tasting wine for 23 years, and here I was in my home zip code tasting really nice wines. The tasting staff was incredibly well informed, you could just tell they take these wine home to drink with friends and dinner. To their credit, they sell most of their wines in the $10-20 range. I could write for pages, but let's let the wines show their merit.

• 2010 Château Fontaine Chardonnay 87 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  My first taste on my first trip to Leelanau, my boyhood home, since 1999. My how things have improved in the wine tasting business in Leelanau since then. This chardonnay is as complete and flavorful as any I have tasted, in a signature Leelanau delicate elegance. This 2010 exhibits the creamy and rich, but still delicate influence of French oak from nose to finish. There is a bunch of crisp citrus on the entry followed by some spicy yet mellow melon and fig. Crisp but light acidity. The finish shows a touch of cool climate rusticity.

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• 2011 Château Fontaine Chardonnay 87 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  The same thing happened with this Chardonnay, as happened with the Pinot Grigio; I tasted one vintage at the tasting bar, but was sold the next vintage at the check out. I'm not terribly upset, as this is excellent Chardonnay, but in a cool climate region like Leelanau, vintage matters. I really like this wine. Like all offerings from Leelanau, it is light, delicate and elegant. This 2011 is more fruit forward than my notes and recollection describe the 2010. Upon opening, there is a guava meets fig aroma that is very pleasant. There is some of that green garden, spicy rusticity behind the pear and melon fruit, which then leads to some light grapefruit and citrus acidity.Surprisingly flavorful for being only medium bodied. I recommend drinking this chilled and alone, without food, as the delicacy of the flavors is so pure, food clouds the issue.

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• 2011 Château Fontaine Pinot Gris 88 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  Can't say enough how much I enjoyed tasting these Leelanau Peninsula white wines. This particular Pinot Gris has an almost Alsatian mouth feel and viscosity while maintaining a real delicacy. I think this wine was designed to drink young and just slightly chilled. There is a lively acidity, balanced by a smooth, solid mouth full of citrus like grapefruit and even some orange, meeting pear and apple. Might be a small amount of residual sugar. Close to being layered in an elegant sort of way. Crisp citrus finish.

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• 2011 Château Fontaine Woodland White 87 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  This relatively unknown varietal seems to have found a second home in Leelanau. The nose at first is muted, but as you swirl and sniff, the aromas are white flower nectar and honey. The palate has the typical Leelanau, graceful, soft elegance. This varietal has a honeydew meets ripe pear with light lemon. Can't say enough about the balanced soft but still mouth filling characteristic of this wine. Very unique to my California trained, or any ones palate. some peach appears on the satisfying finish.

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• 2011 Château Fontaine Gewürztraminer 88 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  Gewurztraminer from the Leelanau peninsula is not like any you taste from anywhere else in the world. When you stand there at the tasting bar, about 1000' from the hillside vineyard, you have to "get in character" with the wine, and throw out any preconceived notions. This wine is very delicate for a Gewurztraminer. You don't get that typical overwhelming floral character. Instead you get more of a cereal box, maybe wheat, or some kind of fresh harvested grain flavor and aroma that is totally unique and mind blowing. It is totally dry. Quite spicy on the roof of the mouth. The fruit is sneaky expressive pear, pineapple, apple and melon. Typical Leelanau bracing acidity. Wish I had the chance to explore and taste more of these wines.

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• 2011 Château Fontaine Pinot Blanc 88 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  Another varietal that seems to have found it's groove on the Leelanau Peninsula. Not quite as fruit forward expressive as the Pinot Gris from this producer. This Pinot Blanc is very light and delicate. Even the color is kind of clear. But, don't let the light color fool you, this is a very fruity, expressive wine. Typical to Leelanau, it is more elegant than powerful. Medium bodied. Totally dry. The soft fruit sneaks up on you and keeps coming with honeyed, buttery, melon. grapefruit and pear. Crisp, but not the raw Granny Smith apple we often get in cool climate Leelanau. Think 2011 was a ripe sunny year.

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• 2011 Château Fontaine Riesling White 89 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  Oh yea, give me some petrol. You would expect Reisling to perform well in Leelanau, and this one sure does. No where near the viscosity we get from German Riesling, but still has mouth feel most white wines can't accomplish. Solid golden color. Peaches and nectarines on the nose. The palate has that early picked, spicy, racy acidity. The fruit is delicate peach with honey and melon with only a touch of citrus. Some petrol and minerality linger on the roof of the mouth. As you fill the palate toward the finish we get some spicy tangerine and lemon sweet tart. Very nice.

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• 2011 Château Fontaine Pinot Noir 90 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  I'm going out on the limb a bit to give this Pinot 90 points, but my notes had 15 thoughts, and I sipped this wine for many minutes to thoroughly enjoy it. These people have farmed this acreage for 30 years, so we need to give them credit for now knowing how to grow and vinify Pinot on this site. As typical for Leelanau reds, the color is deceptively light red. More than any other region in the world, Leelanau reds have strawberry and cherry on the nose. When it crosses the palate, there is an almost chunky, savory, meaty and spicy structure to the strawberry, cherry, and raw red raspberry fruit. Nice secondary flavors of red licorice, clove, brown spice, vanilla and a touch of minerals. A hint of tannins. Balanced acidity. Some rusticity with savory red fruit on the finish.

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• NV Château Fontaine Big Paw 84 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  Not a real big fan of sweet red wine, but it does have it's place. Don't know what varietals they included. The color is much darker than their Pinot. The nose is candied cherry and red raspberry. It is super smooth. To me not balanced with enough acidity. Has some super nice red licorice on the finish.

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• 2011 Château Fontaine Laughing Waters 88 Points

  USA, Michigan, Leelanau Peninsula

  This is really delightful. It takes very little imagination to compare this to a rose' from Provence. Pretty sure this is bleed wine from skins that have been broken, but in typical Leelanau Peninsula delicate and elegant style, tastes very much like drain rose'. The color is very light salmon to orange. The nose has nice crushed dried rose petals and sweet red fruit. Very nice rich, lanolin like mouth feel. Loads of maraschino cherries on the palate. Great balance.Soft and elegant, while being much more fruity than the color would suggest. Moe maraschino cherry on the finish.

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