LATE HARVEST RIESLING RESERVE MAGNUM

This isn’t just a wine—it’s a tribute to the heritage, precision, and craftsmanship that have defined Chateau Grand Traverse for over five decades. Our Late Harvest Riesling Reserve (2023) is a commemorative bottling created to honor the iconic status of Late Harvest Riesling within our portfolio, and to offer our most devoted fans a collector’s piece worthy of their cellar.

Only 500 bottles of this exquisite wine were produced. Each was hand-filled, individually numbered, and finished with a wax seal—a deliberate, small-lot approach that reflects the rarity of the vintage and the care taken in its creation. This is one of just a handful of wines bearing our Reserve designation, and it stands as a statement of both place and purpose.

Released in celebration of Chateau Grand Traverse’s 50th Anniversary, this wine embodies the spirit of a pioneering Northern Michigan winery that helped shape the modern Midwest wine industry. Since 1974, we’ve championed cool-climate viticulture and the expressive potential of Riesling on Old Mission Peninsula. This limited bottling serves as a time capsule of that journey—elevating the varietal that built our reputation and honoring the community of growers, winemakers, and enthusiasts who made it possible.

Harvested in 2023, the 2023 growing season on Old Mission Peninsula was defined by its contrasts. A mild winter and early spring allowed for a smooth budbreak and healthy flowering. However, the summer brought extended dry conditions that initially delayed grape maturation. Crucially, early September rains returned just in time, balancing the vines and enabling sugars and acids to harmonize before harvest. While total rainfall during harvest was significant, it fell in short, infrequent bursts—minimizing vineyard disruption and allowing for deliberate, selective hand-harvesting of Riesling fruit at ideal ripeness.

This late-picked fruit, grown in well-drained glacial soils overlooking Lake Michigan, delivers hallmark flavors of baked golden apple, ripe apricot, and honeyed citrus, underscored by a vibrant acidity that is a signature of our cool-climate terroir. Compared to broader Late Harvest expressions, the Reserve bottling is deeper in tone, more viscous in texture, and longer on the finish—showcasing balance over sweetness, and purity over weight.

This wine was fermented slowly and chilled to arrest fermentation at the optimal residual sugar point. The resulting palate is lush, complex, and beautifully composed—made for slow enjoyment, special occasions, and long-term aging.

Collector’s Note:
Each wax-dipped bottle is hand-numbered and represents a singular vintage expression that will never be replicated. For collectors, longtime wine club members, or those who have followed our Riesling journey from the beginning, this is a chance to own a rare chapter in our legacy.