Review: NV Tabor Hill Blanc de Noir and Rosso di Lago

Few people associate Michigan with wine country, but the Tabor Hill Winery in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA has a fifty-year history of winemaking. They produce a range of offerings, including multiple varieties of reds, whites, sparkling, and fruit wines. Today we are trying two special new releases, including one white and one red, both made entirely with estate grown fruit. Let’s give them a try.

NV Tabor Hill Blanc de Noir – This is an uncommon style of wine made with pinot noir grapes but with minimal skin contact after pressing, which produces a white wine. The nose is reserved at first, but with time it becomes very nice, offering fleshy peach, orange peel, frothy cream, a floral note, and a bit of perfume. The palate follows suit with an Orange Julius note coming first followed by peach, lemon peel, and perfume. The wine has low to medium acidity and a fairly long finish. It will pair well with light fare including baked chicken and vegetables, but it is delightful on its own. As we’re moving into the holiday season, I think it would go perfectly with Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing. B+ / $45

NV Tabor Hill Rosso di Lago – Made in the style of an Italian Super Tuscan, this wine includes sangiovese, merlot, syrah, and cabernet sauvignon, and it is aged for a year in French and Hungarian oak. I’m surprised the wine doesn’t list the year grapes were harvested since the tannic varieties that make up the wine typically need time in the bottle to reach their peak. Poured in a glass, the wine is uninspiring, smelling like boozy grape juice with a pronounced herbal note of sage. Happily, the palate is more enjoyable with the herbal note still playing a big part, but it is balanced by blueberry, red currant, cranberry, and blackberry notes. The wine is quite dry, but fruity and tangy. Medium to high acidity and drying tannins provide a nice structure. I wasn’t optimistic when I first smelled this wine, but with a bit of time it shows nice character and complexity. I wouldn’t mistake it for a Super Tuscan, but I’d be happy to drink it alongside a steak or even a cheeseburger. B / $47

The post Review: NV Tabor Hill Blanc de Noir and Rosso di Lago appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.