Forty-Five North Gets a Ten

I wanted to share with you our experiences visiting another winery on the Leelanau Peninsula. This was our first visit to Forth-Five North Vineyard and Winery. We really weren't sure what to expect, especially since the tasting room is under construction and the makeshift tasting room is in the production building. I actually thought the set up worked very well. We had to walk past the stainless steel tanks and oak barrels to get to the tasting area. It helped give us a sense that some serious winemaking was happening on premesis. The minute we walked through the door, we were greeted by an employee and he cheerfully directed us to the tasting bar. We were pleasantly surprised when we learned that the same individual was going to act as our guide through the wines. I refer to him (his name was Jim) as a guide instead of a pourer because he took us on an educational journey starting with the winery and progressed through the wines. I did not mention to him anything about this blog, so I am certain that he treats each customer with the same attentiveness and thoroughness. I have been to many wineries over the past five years, and I can honestly say that his passion for these wines was unparalleled. For a minute, I expected him to be the winemaker. He obviously loved what he was doing, felt strongly about the wines, and knew his stuff. We were offered the choice of 6 tastings each or he offered to pour 12 wines if we wanted to share. We gladly shared. It not only allowed us to explore more wines, but it also limited the consumption of alcohol (which is very important when you are spending the day tasting wine.) He guided us through the wine list and told a story with each wine he poured. His descriptions of the wine were almost always spot on. He pointed out the intricacies of each and compared them to each other. Every wine on the list had a reason for being there and they were all distinctively different than the next selection. I will talk more specifically about the wines in a later post, but I feel the need to talk about 3 wines that we tasted. The 2007 Reserve Chardonnay had a rich oaky taste that filled your mouth with a smooth buttery finish and the 2008 Unwooded Chardonnay let enough acid shine through to be a very clean and crisp wine. The reason that I bring up these two Chardonnays is because my wife loved them. She doesn't typically drink Chardonnay (either oaked or unoaked), so I was amazed that she liked both of these. To me, that says more about a wine than medals or professional reviews. She will share her specific tasting notes in a later column, but it was so impressive to me that I felt the need to share it now. The last wine I want to mention is the 2007 Cabernet Franc. The cherry smell on this wine reall brought me close. The compelxity and deep flavor will keep me coming back. I was as impressed with this Cab Franc as I have been with any others grown in Michigan. At $30 per bottle, this is not a cheap wine, but it is well worth the price. This wine struck me so much that I bought a bottle for my cellar. I hope to open it in 5 to 10 years and relive the fantastic afternoon we spent at Forty-Five North. I cannot encourage you strongly enough to take time and visit this winery. The wines were all top-notch and the staff was incredible. We will be adding this winery to our list of favorites when we return for our annual tasting tour.