Sharing My Passion for Good Food, Wine & Spirits. Come
Join Me and Satisfy Your Hunger and Thirst.
RICHARD A.
STONEHAM, MA
A Food & Wine Enthusiast!
SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2007
Have you ever had wines from the Turtle Creek
Winery? There is a good chance you have not but you should seek out
their wines.
On Saturday, a fine summer day, I
organized a private tour and tasting of this winery for some members of the North Shore
Winers. Turtle Creek Winery is not generally open to the public but
they do sometimes run private tours. We were lucky enough to partake of one of
these private tours.
Turtle Creek Winery is located in Lincoln,
Massachusetts. Kip Kumler, the owner and winemaker, led our tour. Turtle Creek
is a modest operation, producing only 500-1000 cases of wine per year. Thus,
each of their separate wines consists of less than 100 cases. So, these are
very limited production wines. There are several wine
stores that carry their wines plus some can be ordered from the
winery itself. But, as these wines are so limited in production, it can be
difficult to find the wines. Which is why many people may be unfamiliar with
their wines.
We began our
tour outside near some grape vines where Kip gave a short talk on growing
grapes in Massachusetts. He discussed some of the problems that grape growers
in the region encounter including harsh winters, fungis/pests and a short
growing season. Grapes can be grown but one has to deal with the potential
problems. Kip detailed some of his methods for overcoming the limitations of
the region. He does rely on technology to help overcome these matters, and does
much research and testing to develop new and improved methods.
Presently, Turtle Creek plants Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and
Riesling. They also purchase grapes from California and New York. Kip discussed
some of his growing practices, indicating that he aims for better grapes at the
expense of yield. He clearly is not trying to mass produce grapes but rather is
aiming for a superior product. This is a common denominator at Turtle Creek,
the pursuit of excellence rather than the mass production of a mediocre
product.
It was very clear from the outset that Kip is very
passionate about his wines. He truly seeks to make an excellent product. That
is clearly one reason why his wine production has remained so low for these
years. He certainly seems to work very hard at ensuring the only wine he sells
is some of his best. He mentioned that he has destroyed wine that did not meet
his standards. He would not simply use the inferior wine for blending. It would
end up a buried mistake.
Our tour then went inside where we got to
see the fermentation area, the wine cellar, laboratory and more.
This is a photo
of Kip next to the fermentation tanks. The tanks are specially made to maintain
certain temperature levels.
This is a photo
of Kip in front of his bottling machine. This is where the wines are also
corked and labeled. Again, Kip uses technology to assist his work and make it
easier to bottle and label. For example, the bottler does the corking in a
vacuum so that the air pressure inside a corked bottle is proper without the
need to sit out and wait.
assist him in
his endeavors. It is clear he has invested much in his efforts to make a
superior product.
Our final stop
was the tasting room, where barrels of wine are stored against the walls. We
got to taste five different wines and most of them were quite impressive. Four
of the wines, except for the Cabernet Franc, were made from grapes shipped to
the winery. The Cabernet Franc was grown on the premises.
I should
mention that Kip aims for a more Burdgundian style in his wines. He does not
want his wines to be like California wines. He aims for a more subtle style, an
Old World style, rather than some fruit bomb.
Their 2005
Chardonnay was delicious. It sees only a minor amount of oak so is not overly
buttery. The fruit flavors are more dominate, such as apple and apricot. It was
crisp and refreshing. Though I am not a big fan of white wines, this was
definitely a white wine I enjoyed. And I did buy a couple bottles as well.
The 2005 Pinot
Noir was also good. It is a light colored wine with lots of bright cherry
flavors. I have had others of their Pinot Noirs and have always enjoyed them.
The 2004
Cabernet Sauvignon was a darker colored wine, more full bodied with lots of
fruit and spice flavors. It would have gone perfectly with a steak. This is a
wine you could easily cellar for a few years. I should note that his 2005 won a
gold medal at a recent competition in California.
The 2005
Zinfandel was a big, bold, spicy wine. It was vibrant with flavor and
complexity. This was a favorite of a number of the North Shore Winers.
The only wine I
did not care for was the 2000 Cabernet Franc, which was the first bottling of
their own grown grapes. It had too much of a vegetal taste to me. Kip though
acknowledged that this wine had not really been as good as he hoped it would
be. He is looking forward to making better Cabernet Franc in the future.
What makes
these wines even better is their cost. I don't think any of the Turtle Creek
wines cost more than $20. Most are priced from $16-18. For such low production
wines, these costs are unbelievable. And when you consider the high quality of
these wines, then these wines give you a great value. These wines are well
crafted and you certainly can't go wrong with them. The Winers certainly
enjoyed the wines and a number of them bought the Chardonnay, the only wine
available. I know if the other varietals had been available, cases of the wine
would have walked out that door.
Kip certainly
is a good spokesman for his wines. He was very knowledgeable, personable and
accommodating. He evidences a true passion for his work and it shows in his
products.
If you want to
try some excellent wines, especially good values ones, then seek out Turtle
Creek wines!
