Mark’s Score 8.7
This is the best vineyard on the Chesapeake Bay, though to be honest, that is a short putt. This is the only vineyard I will review on the Delmarva because it is the only vineyard worth talking about. That said, this is a true gem. Their wines are not good Maryland wines, they are world-class wines. I would, without hesitation serve their wines to my vinofile friends.
I became familiar with this vineyard a couple of years when we moved to the Eastern Shore. One day I was searching for the location of my new doctor’s office, I noticed that there was a vineyard between me and my doctor. I resolved that I would stop and check it out on my way home. To be honest, I was not expecting much, let us just say that Maryland is not noted for its fine wines. In fact, due to the combined influence of the bay and ocean, winters are a bit too short and warm here to produce excellent wine (or so I thought), the plants need to rest and therefore need extended cold weather.
My first encounter with this vineyard was on a weekday in early spring. On that day, I was the only customer. Bordeleau produces red, white, and fruit and berry wines. I was completely unfamiliar with this vineyard the day I walked in, and honestly my expectations were low. So, I ordered a glass of their oaked chardonnay. I always order chardonnay if I am at a vineyard in an area not noted as an official wine region. The reason I order chardonnay is because it is the most versatile of all the grapes. It will grow in the most climates and in the most soil types, so chardonnay is the safest choice. Even bad vineyards can make a drinkable chardonnay. I walked into this vineyard expecting a mediocre Maryland wine.
I took one sip and thought, “this can’t be right.” I took a second sip, and asked to see the bottle. The bottle didn’t say “estate” so I asked the woman behind the counter if the vineyard grew all its own grapes. Bordeleau is, in fact, an estate vineyard (meaning all of their wine is grown on the property). It was balanced, fruity, and with a hint of minerality. We talked for a bit about the winery. It is owned by Tom Shelton a former executive at Purdue (yes, the chicken people). The woman behind the counter called the owner’s wife, Lisa. Lisa asked me if I had any experience conducting tours. I had none, so of course I said, “yes.” And before I could say “grünerweltliner,” I was contracted to be their wine tour guide (every Saturday 3:00pm). That was five years ago, I am still doing the wine tours.
If you want to hear the full story, you are just going to have to show up on a Saturday and join my tour. In the meantime, Bordeleau makes their wines in the French style, meaning they follow the theory of terroir and “fine” their wine in the traditional method of France. The location is beautiful, situated along the banks of the Wicomico Creek, and their soils are poor sand and gravel. The poorer the soil, the better the wine. The tasting room at the vineyard is warm and cozy and they recently opened a remote tasting room in St. Michael’s, MD. They have live music every Saturday and Sunday afternoon at the vineyard tasting room, and there are a number of special events during the year. They have won many regional awards over the years, but my personal favorites are the Petit Verdot, and Cab Franc.
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