The last of the wine club shipments that I can claim as part of my extended birthday celebration month.  Black Star Farms is rather unique in that it has vineyards and tasting room facilities on both peninsulas, so that they are kind of surrounding Traverse City which is kind of the focal point for all of the wineries in the area.  In 1998 Black Star Farms purchased Sport Valley Farm which was a one-hundred-twenty-acre equestrian facility, and the stylized black star was part of the architectural décor in the main house.  In their Twentieth year, they were honored to receive the 19’th Annual Canberra International Riesling Challenge (CIRC) -Best Wine of the 2018 Challenge and only the second time an American wine came out on top.  There were 567 Rieslings from six countries (Australian, New Zealand, USA, Germany, France’ and the Czech Republic).  The Black Star Farms Arcturos Dry Riesling 2017 scored 98 points, in addition to taking home Best Dry Riesling and Best American Riesling.  In fact, all six of the Riesling wines that Black Star Farms submitted took home medals, showing a consistency across vintages and styles.  The fruit is sourced from both of the proprietor’s vineyards and from local grower partners in both the Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau Peninsula.  The winery has three series; the premium Arcturos, A Capella and the Leorie Vineyard labels for sparkling and fruit wines.

The first wine out of the carton is Black Star Farms Arcturos Cabernet Franc Michigan 2020.  In fact, we had two different bottles of wine with a meal that caused us to drive over to Black Star Farms while we were up in northern Michigan and one of the bottles was Cabernet Franc.  It also is probably my Bride’s favorite varietal, so it is always easy to get her to agree to a bottle or two.  Now the year 2020 is rather ominous for most people’s memories, but it turned out to be an excellent growing season for the region, and a lighter crop, which made it easier for the production team, it also had an earlier bud break, a warmer spring and early summer and a long cool September which was a boon to the smaller crop.  October offered plenty of sunshine which encouraged the ripeness of the grapes.  This wine carries a Michigan designation, because the fruit was harvested with sixty-nine percent from Leelanau Peninsula and thirty-one percent from Old Mission Peninsula.  They were one of the first to have Cabernet Franc, with the first bottling in 1998 and now plenty of the other wineries now grow it as well. This wine is ninety-two percent Cabernet Franc and eight percent Teroldego.  The wine was allowed to mature for almost twenty-two months in a blend of French and American Oak with thirty percent being new; and six-hundred-ninety-cases were produced.  This new wine is described as offering notes of blackberries, plums, oak, and herbs.  On the palate the dark fruit blends well and has soft tannins and a finish of herbaceous notes.

The second wine out of the carton was Black Star Farms Arcturos Pinot Noir Rosé Michigan 2022.  Black Star Farms is located on the 45^th Parallel that runs through some of the world’s great wine regions and they also enjoy a “lake effect” climate with helps especially near harvest time.  The fruit for this wine comes from the estate’s vineyards as well as some local grower partners; fifty-two percent from Leelanau Peninsula and forty-eight percent from Old Mission Peninsula, which causes the Michigan designation.  The growing season had a mild, but sunny spring, sun and heat for the summer, and a good drought from mid-June to mid-August, with a little rain in September and October.  The wine is ninety-eight percent Pinot Noir and two percent Pinot Gris.  It is not stated, but I would venture to say that this was a wine that was entirely done with Stainless-Steel for Fermentation and a short maturation period to allow the fresh fruit to be enjoyed; with eighteen-hundred-fifty-two cases produced.  The wine is described as a classic dry style rosé with strawberry aromas, with red fruit on the palate and is complimented by subtle minerality and a clean finish.