It was getting to the end of the wine tasting at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan, and since The Wine Raconteur, Jr. was there with his Bride, it was fun watching them decide on which wines to get, and then they also discussed the possibility of getting some Sauternes wines as well.

We then proceeded to try Klinker Brick Winery Bricks & Roses Lodi-Mokelumne River 2025. I have become a great fan of Lodi and Klinker Brick Winery since 2017 is a winery that I have actually tried seven of their wines and all were winners. Klinker Brick Winery is in its Sixth Generation, but they began as grape farmers and would sell their fruit originally to the home wine makers and Zinfandel was the main crop in this area. Eventually they began selling the crops in the latter part of the 1900’s to other wine makers and eventually they took the plunge themselves as there was a strong demand for their crops. They have about sixteen plots of land, mostly along what is known as the Lodi-Mokelumne River as well as some in the Clements Foothills. They produced their first bottle of Zinfandel in 2000, and their first Syrah in 2001.  This wine is a classic Rhone-style blend of Grenache, Carignane, Syrah and Mourvèdre.  I will opine that this wine is probably fermented and aged in Stainless Steel to maintain the youthfulness and freshness.  A soft salmon colored wine that offered notes of red fruit, some florals and some subtle nuances of herbs and spices.  On the palate this light-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of raspberry and red cherry blending with some tangy acidity and ended with a short-to-medium-count dry finish of fruit and spices.   

The penultimate wine of the tasting was Chateau de Montguéret Cabernet Rosé D’Anjou Le Petite Saint Louis Loire Valley 2024. Chateau de Montguéret is located in the heart of the Lys-Haut-Layon, bordered by the Layon River and at the crossroads of Anjou Noir and Saumur on a mosaic of terroirs of deep schist, Saumur limestone and sandy-clay soils.  This is a hundred-hectare estate that is balancing tradition and modern winemaking.  This wine is pure Cabernet Franc from vines that average about sixteen years of age.  The fruit undergoes direct pressing, and fermentation and aging in temperature-controlled Stainless-Steel tanks.  This pale pink wine offered notes of red fruits, florals and spices.  On the palate this light-bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of strawberries, cherries and some Grenadine mixing with some fresh acidity and ending with a medium-count finish of red fruits and spices.    

The final wine was Turley Wine Cellars Zinfandel Rosé California 2023.  Turley Wine Cellars was established in 1993 by Larry Turley, a founder of Frog’s Leap Winery in Rutherford, when he decided that he wanted to work with old vines and a smaller, more intimate production size.  For two years, he worked with his sister Helen Turley, a wine consultant and winemaker.  He makes thirty wines from thirty-five different vineyards, about half are estate and the others are long-term leases, with some vines over a hundred years of age.  This is his version of a Provencal rosé, but with Californian attitude, his concept of a “white zinfandel” and first made in 2011.  The fruit for this wine is hand-harvested early, fermented in Stainless-Steel tanks using indigenous yeast and then then aged for seven months in used French Oak barrels, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.  This pink to light red colored wine offered notes of red fruits, currents and melons with florals and spices.  On the palate this light-to-medium bodied, well-balanced wine displayed tones of strawberries, cherries, currants mixed well with bright acidity to end with a fresh and dry rosé with a medium-count finish of fruit and petrichor.