Missouri Wines

Native Norton

Posted at August 10, 2006 17:06

By Doug Frost

Norton is the bomb. It’s explosive, powerful, and messy. Specifically, Norton stains wine glasses. It can stain your teeth, too. That’s one of the more aggressive characteristics of this American grape.

Norton was first domesticated in Virginia as a wild grape, hence its former name, Virginia Seedling. It was embraced one hundred years ago because European varieties, like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, couldn’t withstand Pierce’s Disease, a bacteria spread by insects, although no one understood why imported vines were dying. Early Virginia vintners noticed that the native vines not only survived, but prospered. North America hosted a dozen species of indigenous grapevines. Although all thrived, few vines made wine comparable to European varieties.

Norton was different and made good wine; that was quickly apparent. A century later, there are still only a few native vines that are taken seriously. Among these, Norton is unique because it requires extraordinary winemaking.

Stone Hill Winery’s chief winemaker, David Johnson, helped lead the way. Stone Hill’s Norton style is like Zinfandel. It has raspberry and cassis, it shows lashings of American oak, and it has all the subtlety of Mike Tyson in a feisty mood.

But in the heavyweight world of Norton, Stone Hill’s version is almost a dancer. Les Bourgeois Vineyard’s version of Norton is called Premium Claret and, like the term claret itself (a vernacular term for Bordeaux), is more elegant than clunky. Augusta Winery’s Cynthiana wine — an alternate name for the grape — as well as sister winery Montelle’s version are just as balanced. Hermannhof Winery and Heinrichshaus Vineyard and Winery are adept as well.

Adam Puchta Winery’s Norton is built of bigger stuff. There is a port-like richness to the wine. Both versions from St. James Winery and Crown Valley Winery are just as chocolaty. And Mount Pleasant Winery’s Norton seems to have all the styles combined into one complex picture; its 2003 Norton won the Governor’s Cup for top red in 2005. Perhaps the easiest version to love is Norton Port. Adam Puchta, Augusta, Crown Valley, Hermannhof, Montelle, and Stone Hill all make lovely port comprised wholly or partially of the mighty grape.

April 2006

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