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2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Semi-Dry Riesling ~ The One That Almost Got Away

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I was a little disappointed in not being able to find the Chateau Grand Traverse Semi-Dry Riesling in my neighborhood when I reviewed the other three 2008s a few weeks ago. I would have preferred to have published notes on the four of them together for continuity’s sake but was unwilling to wait, not knowing when a bottle of the Semi-Dry might turn up. And so it was that I happened to stumble upon a stash of these at a good price last Friday at Plum Market in West Bloomfield. I didn’t think twice before grabbing one, paying for it, bringing it home, chilling it down and opening it that very evening. I was very pleased with what I found, and here are my impressions.

2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Old Mission Peninsula Semi-Dry Riesling, 12% alc., $10.99: Medium straw color, with ripe red and green apple flavors and aromas that gain a pleasing note of lime and an undertone of mineral as it opens and warms in the glass. It’s not dry, with about a Kabinett level of sweetness, or maybe a bit more. Medium bodied, with excellent acids and a finish that lingers nicely, this is rich and almost unctuous, with a somewhat oily texture that’s somewhat reminiscent of an Alsatian Riesling.

This is a very satisfying wine in every way, and I find it interesting that with this vintage, the two that I like the most are the sweetest selections, the other being the Late Harvest. It will pair well with a variety of spicy Asian dishes and it drinks quite well all by itself. All in all, another winner from Chateau Grand Traverse! Find this wine

Reporting from Day-twah,

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9 Responses to “2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Semi-Dry Riesling ~ The One That Almost Got Away”

  • Susan Bongiovanni:

    Having recently moved to the Twin Cities from New York, I went to my local wine store to find some local wines. I tasted and purchased both the semi dry Riesling and the dry Riesling from Grand Traverse. I’d like to thank the Lake Elmo wine company for warmly welcoming me to the neighborhood. If you are looking for either of these wines, they are in stock. I am going back to purchase more for the holiday season. These are nice wines at a nice price…and I am shopping locally!

  • George Heritier:

    Thanks for the feedback, Bill! Perhaps more people need to realize that Riesling is one of the truly noble grapes of the world, especially those from Germany and Alsace. It makes incredible wines in every style, from bone dry to uber-sweet. Austria is also doing some great things with Riesling, and here in the US, the Rieslings from Washington, New York and Michigan just keep getting better and better. Australia is making some excellent dry Riesling and I’ve been knocked out by the ones I’ve tasted from Coco Sur in Chile. To borrow a term from my daughter, there’s so much good Riesling around if you know where to look, it’s sick!

  • RT @gangofpour: 2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Semi-Dry Riesling ~ The One That Almost Got Away – http://bit.ly/86vK2H #wine #Michigan

  • Sounds like a nice wine. Fortunately, we can get Ch. Grand Traverse wines just south of the Michigan-Indiana border, so I will have to look for this. A year or two ago I have a CGT red, perhaps Cab Franc, that really impressed me.

    Somehow we need to get people to realize that a semi-dry Riesling is not the sweet, sticky wine they think it is. Too many people give Riesling a bad rap, probably based on some crappy one they had back in the 1970s. Today’s Rieslings are more often terrific than lousy.

  • [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Gang of Pour, Kurt Kwiatkowski. Kurt Kwiatkowski said: RT @gangofpour: 2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Semi-Dry Riesling ~ The One That Almost Got Away – http://bit.ly/86vK2H #wine #Michigan [...]

  • George Heritier:

    Yes, I really like both the wine and the price tag~I’ll be going back for more, eh! };^)>

  • 2008 Chateau Grand Traverse Semi-Dry Riesling ~ The One That Almost Got Away – http://bit.ly/86vK2H #wine #Michigan

  • This is a great wine, a little on the sweeter side, but it really shows the Riesling characteristics. At $10.99, it is a steal.

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