1998 Horton Vineyards "Norton" Orange County, Virginia

[Drew]

My friend, Mike Dutton, sent me this some time ago and I finally popped this tonight with homemade 15 mix bean soup, fresh French bread and salad.
WHAT A COLOR!! Beautiful, regal, purple/garnet...almost opaque with a rich nose of mature plum, cherry and sweet oak. Mature plums and tart cherries dance on your palate and finish long. The Norton grape almost seems to be a mix of Zin, Cab and Syrah, but it is indeed a grape to it's own. The label reads: "Horton Vineyards is proud to re-introduce the famous Norton Wine, the original Virginia claret. Norton is the native Virginia grape that produced the internationally prize winning clarets of the Monticello Wine Company of Charlottesville in the late 1800's. My wife and I really enjoyed this wine and I would encourage anyone to try this Virginia wine.
Thanks Mike.

Drew

[mrdutton]

Drew, I was in Florida when you posted this and was far, far away from a computer.

Just now saw the post.

A HUMBLE Thank-you, indeed.

(Should I come across more, I'll see about another one coming your way.)

[Innkeeper]

Thanks for me too Mike. Drew mentioned that he had tried it first. No problem, but it does have a category, East Coast.

[Drew]

Once again Mr. D came through some time ago and sent a bottle of the 1999 Horton Vineyards Norton. Even better than the '98. This one's completely opaque, glass staining, teeth staining and don't get it near light clothing! Very floral on the nose right out of the bottle with zin like notes mixed with dark and bright scents of the dark fruit spectrum. Similar intense flavors, acidic but not overwhelming with a wee touch of oak. It tastes like a blend of zin and syrah. The '99 shows several notches above the delicious '98. A very nice drinking experience that I matched with grilled chicken and fixens and at 12.5% Alc/vol it didn't knock you down like some high powered zins. Why can't other wineries make more lower alcohol wines with this intensity?

Drew