by Mark Lipton » Wed May 21, 2025 11:08 pm
Although we have an enduring fondness for Cru Beaujolais (and a collection of them in cellar to show for it), we also have from time to time explored the ability of Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc to produce wines of note on these humble shores, too. This started a while ago, when I rediscovered the wines of Steve Edmunds courtesy of these wine boards (I'd previously found them in Berkeley at Solano Cellars back when Bill Easton was running the place, but then life intervened and I moved to the vinous desert of flyover country). Steve's Bone Jolly has set the standard, and I hold onto my last few as cherished memories now. However, since we are also part-time residents of Michigan, we've explored some of the serious wines now produced there. About 10 years ago, we first tried the Gamay Noir Limited Release of Chateau Grand Traverse, one of the original wineries on the Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City, Michigan. The current release is the 2021, which was released about 2 years ago. It's aged for four months in barrel (unknown percentage of new wood, but it's not much) and comes in at 12% ABV. Although a bit of new oak is usually present shortly after release, the current wine shows no overt trace of it. Now, it has fairly typical cranberryish red fruit and the telltale crunchy acidity with a smooth mouthfeel and a hint of minerality. It's not going to be mistaken for Beaujolais, nor is it going to be confused with Bone-Jolly. It is, however, a very creditable rendition of the grape and makes for a very serviceable weekday wine, especially at the locally available price of $16.99 a bottle.
