Cellardoor DeChaunac

[Innkeeper]

Cellardoor Winery is right here in Maine (www.mainewine.com). It is the first grape winery in this state. Right now they have riesling in the ground, but the rest is French-American, and Cornell Hybrids. They do bring vinifera juice in from the Finger Lakes to make some very nice wines too. We brought home some of the local stuff.

The DeChaunac is a F-A hybrid. Color was a lot like pinot, but with a lot of flavor behind it. It has dark cherries and a hint of chocolate on the nose and upfront. It was very open and balanced across the palate, with smooth tannin and enough oak to marry with a nice fillet steak.



[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 12-17-2001).]

[Thomas]

IK, either you are getting too easy to pleaseor I am getting too hard to please. DeChaunac and Marechel Foch are two Fr/Amer hybrid grapes for which I have no tolerance. In my opinion, they each are too forward and too chewy in a grapey way. I also get a plastic/rubbery sensation from them. But then, I have not tasted any produced in Maine.

For fun, leave a drop of DeChaunac in your glass and then add some tap water. The stuff turns deep purple, at least it does here in the Finger Lakes.