RESERVE/LIBRARY wines
Chambourcin Reserve is an homage to the finesse and elegance of Chambourcin’s French heritage. Near-perfect conditions in 2017 resulted in fruit with great complexity and structure. Slow, cool fermentation with extended maceration of 50 days captured the essence of this vintage as a young wine. An aging regime of 12 months in new Missouri Chinkapin Oak barrels was followed by eight months in neutral Missouri barrels for further refinement prior to bottling.
Old Vine Norton is our dry-farmed, estate-produced that increases in complexity with every vintage. In 2015, our vines yielded intensely structured fruit. We captured amazing character with cold soaking followed by slow fermentation and extended maceration. Refined for 36 months in Missouri White and Chinkapin Oak barrels, the result is an extremely robust wine full of deep, dark smoked fruit, framed by firm feathery tannin and earthy notes across the palate. Enjoy this wine now or later; extended cellaring is recommended.
Le Trompier Noir Reserve utilizes Old World practice of winegrowing in our field blend of Chambourcin, St. Vincent and Villard Noir. The 2017 growing season produced amazing fruit with incredible structure and flavors not previously experienced. Managed fermentation, 50-day extended maceration and 30 months of barrel aging resulted in a wine with refined elegance. This limited Reserve bottling exudes deep, dark fruit across the palate framed with earthy saddle leather and firm feathery tannins.
Land Grant Red is an uncompromising wine, reflective of our land and approach to winegrowing. This five-variety field blend was cold soaked, slowly fermented and gently pressed after 54 days of extended maceration. The settled wine matured for 26 months in new Missouri Chinkapin oak barrels, creating a sumptuous, full-bodied and well-integrated wine boasting an array of dark, round, red fruits, framed with great structure and balance. Cheers to 200 years.
Norton Reserve is a powerful wine, balanced, well-structured and suited for long-term aging. Our hand-picked fruit was destemmed and combined for extended cold soaking; extracting fruit, color and texture. Fermentation was managed with a total maceration time of 48 days building complexity. The settled wine was aged for 24 months in native Chinkapin and White Oak, then bottled aged for 1 year prior to release.
The Anniversary Cuvée is …
With this 2015 Reserve Norton, we commemorate the Bicentennial of Franklin County. Our state grape and only true native wine-grape of the New World, Norton has been in existence as long as our great county.
From our 25-plus-year-old vines, the 2015 vintage created exceptional fruit, full of land character, structure and balance. The finished wine was initially refined for two years in neutral Missouri White and Chinkapin Oak barrels, with an additional year in new heavy toast Chinkapin barrels, creating a robust yet elegant wine of distinction. This limited production wine can be enjoyed today and will enhance with cellaring.
The Old World practice of winegrowing shines through in our field blend of Chambourcin, St. Vincent and Villard Noir. The 2017 growing season produced amazing fruit with incredible structure and flavors not previously experienced. Managed fermentation, 50-day extended maceration and 30 months of barrel aging resulted in a wine with refined elegance. This limited Reserve bottling exudes deep, dark fruit across the palate framed with earthy saddle leather and firm feathery tannins.