The 2015 is a succulent wine with hints of opulence. There
is a plethora of red and dark fruits mingled in with perfumed wild
flowers. The brightness of the wine is
well suited for the fruit and creates the feeling of a giant Jolly
Rancher. There is a nice bit of
vanilla/cocoa to round out the J Rancher as well. The oak and tannins are well integrated and
add to the overall balance of the wine.
The finish is long and lingering.
This wine will age very well. In
my reckless youth I didn’t give Norton much of a chance; I am now a bit older
and mature and have put my follies aside to declare Norton an important variety
in Virginia.
Vintage:
The 2015 vintage had some scary moments but ultimately we
came through unscathed. Some low temps
in early Spring had us all concerned about frost. Additionally we also saw some heavy rains in
the early spring keeping the viticulture team on their toes. The summer came on with little rain and
average temperatures for the state. The
rain then came back with a vengeance in late September to early October. Overall though the growing season was long
and did allow for good ripening.
Determining the best day to pick was the key to success. I think we will see some good wines from Virginia
vineyards for 2015
Blend:
100% Norton
Harvest:
The Norton was harvested on 24 October @ 24.3 brix, 3.62 pH
and .858g/L TA.
Vineyard Source:
Chrysalis Vineyards, Middleburg,
VA
Fermentation:
The Norton was cold soaked for 4 days and then fermented in
stainless steel for 6 days with D254 yeast.
.
Aging:
27% New Hungarian Oak, 27% 1 year American Oak, 18% 2 year
American oak, 18% neutral French Oak, 10% 4 year Hungarian Oak
Bottling Date:
31 January 2017 – 267 cases
Release Date:
November 2017
Technical
Information:
Alc. – 13.3%
pH – 3.73
TA – 0.817g/L
RS – 0.40 Dry
