Back when the world was young and fun, we were at a board meeting at the Inn at Bay Harbor, and a delightful time it was.  The food was excellent and normally the wine takes a back seat to the liquor selection and the craft beer selection, but this time even the wine was excellent.  The final evening of events the wines were from Black Star Farms of Michigan, and there was quite a lot of buzz, at least in Michigan wine drinking circles, because the Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling Michigan 2017 had won the Best in Show at the Canberra International Riesling Competition.  We did not have the Dry Riesling being poured, but we tried their Cabernet Franc 2013 and it was that great, along with two other wines, that my Bride wanted to make a special stop at the winery to see if we could get the Cabernet Franc and some of the Dry Riesling.  We were so impressed with the service from the representative that we did a tasting with, that we signed up for their club.

The first wine in the carton was Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Blanc Old Mission Peninsula 2020.  Black Star Farms is located on the same 45^th Parallel that runs through some of the great wine regions of the world.  While 2020 was devastating to the state and country, you may recall; it was actually quite good for that part of the state.  Early budding in the spring, warm spring and early summer, and then cooling off in September with a burst of warmth in October which allowed the fruit to fully ripen.  The fruit was harvested from two plots, both in the Old Mission Peninsula; eighty percent from Montana Rusa and twenty percent from Montague Estate Vineyards.  There were five-hundred-seventy cases produced of this wine.  According to the supplied notes this wine is medium-bodied with notes of green apple and lemon and the on the palate the two fruit tones blend into a crisp wine with a finish of minerality (terroir).  They even mentioned that there would be a certain creaminess that can develop in bottle aging.  

The second two bottles were Black Star Farms Vintners Pinot Noir Michigan NV. The winery has a Pinot Noir program that is the focal point of their red wine production.  The winery is very fortunate to have both tasting rooms on both peninsulas surrounding Traverse City, but also both estate and contract vineyards in both as well.  This particular wine is a blend of multiple vineyards from both peninsulas and multiple vintages.  This particular wine is based on their 2016 vintage, but it has been made to be more fruit forward and barrel aging.  The tasting write-up supplied by the winery offers raspberry, cherry and plum and oak.  On the palate tones of dark fruit, spices and perfect balance.