Chateau Tebeau: Petit Syrah

Chateau Tebeau is an unexpected winery.  The tasting room is literally next door to a home.  When you first drive up, you think you’re parking on private property.  The story goes that opening a winery wasn’t the first thought in the Tebeau family’s mind when they bought the farm in 1996.  But they started planting grapes in 2008 and opened their tasting room in 2009.

The limestone soil of northwest Ohio has done well for them.  The first planting had Noiret, Traminette, Frontenac, and Pinot Gris.  In 2016, they’re still planting, maintaining, and making better and better wines.

I don’t remember the year I first experienced Chateau Tebeau.  I remember I went to the winery with a bit of humor.  I’d gone to school with relatives of the Tebeaus’.  The idea that they opened a winery seemed crazy to me, especially as a “retirement project” and in the middle of farm country in Northwest Ohio. 

I mean, seriously, I’m a wine snob, right?

That first visit was better than expected.  The tasting room was beautiful, the yard was packed with visitors, and the wine was okay.  Sweet, but okay.  There was a uniqueness to it that appealed to me – it didn’t have the earthiness of Lake Erie wines, but there was something special in there.

So went back as I visited Ohio.  And then one day they had dry wines. 

I’ll be fair.  Even their dry wines have a hint of sweetness.  It’s like a drop of dark chocolate at the very end.  It makes even the driest of the wines a little heavy.  But it’s a respectable heaviness.  It’s a flavor that I can see growing and developing over time. 

I selected to taste their Petit Syrah for this blog.  (The Pinot Gris is really good, too.)  It has the heaviness I described above which makes me think of smoky bbq and cool nights.  Definitely not a wine for a hot summer day.  Raspberries and dark cherries are very fruit forward in this wine.

And here’s the really cool thing – I’m a big fan of Georgia wines.  Frogtown is my favorite.  Wolf is a close second.  If you blindfolded me and told me the Petit Syrah was Howling Wolf Red from Wolf Mountain, I would have believed you.  It’s honestly that good.

Honestly, I’m so impressed with this winery you should go and try anything.  They have a nice tasting tray of six wines – you can pick sweet or dry.  (But the Petit Syrah wasn’t on the tasting tray.  So when you go, ask what’s the favorite of the week.  They’ll be happy to show off what’s selling well.)

So, if you ever drive through northwest Ohio, take time to look for Helena.  It’s not near anything.  (But then if you’ve driven through the Midwest, you realize nothing is near anything else.)  I promise it’s worth the trip.