Note: This is a copied post from a different blog in an attempt to consolidate.8/28/2006 Last night, I opened a bottle of Lone Oak Estate Vineyards Michigan Chardonnay to have with dinner (Lone Oak website). A very pleasant, dry chardonnay that paired nicely with BBQ turkey burgers, coleslaw, and corn-on-the-cob. A very light yellow color, the wine exhibits delicate floral, melon, and apricot aromas with just a hint of sugar in the nose. Unoaked, it has a slight tang on the tip of the tongue and a slight buttery feel as it moves towards the back of the throat. Not a strong taste, just some herbaceous green notes. Thankfully, none of the overwhelming butter and oak that I’ve come to dread in a chardonnay. The wine tasted much better when drunk cold. As it warmed up in my glass, I began to get a bit of a barnyard aroma in the nose. Attractively priced at $12.95, this is a decent wine for a hot summer day.
I believe the wine was made from estate grown grapes, although I would have expected a vintage label on the bottle. Since it was a non-vintage label, that may mean this is a blend of more than one vintages or blended with a vintage from another winery.
The bottle was purchased in early May 2006 at the winery and was stored in my basement wine cellar since then. Best place to find the wine is at the winery, but the Cork 'n Cap in Jackson carries Lone Oak wines. If others know of off-winery places to purchase Lone Oak wines, please let me know.
Note added 1/14/07: Lone Oak has made excellent progress in self distributing their wines around Michigan. See their website for the extensive list.
