Scheduled Releases – Spring 2011 (for prices and terms click Growers Info above) RED VARIETIES Crimson Cabernet Click to view Photos Click for Tasting Notes Cabernet Sauvignon (clone from Rutherford, Ca) crossed with Norton (“Monticello” clone). Red wine grape intended for the production of barrel aged dry wine of the highest quality. Size of berries and clusters midway between Cabernet and Norton. In 2006 in west central Illinois the grapes were harvested on 9/18/06, with Brix 22.5, ph 3.32, Acid 7.75. Like Norton the berries hang extremely well and this vine could have been harvested later with little fear of late season rots. Unlike its parent Norton, which grows poorly during its first few seasons, Crimson Cabernet grows extremely well and can be trained to the top wire at the end of the first year if grown in a well managed vineyard. It can bear some trophy grapes in the second season and a modest commercial crop in the third. It seems to prefer cane pruning. Crimson Cabernet should be grown on a single curtain, single trunk, trellis system eight feet apart in the rows. The canes have a drooping tendency and are easily combed downward allowing for excellent air, sun and spray exposure. We have not noticed any particular disease, insect, or bird problems. We did not notice any winter damage in 2010 at temperatures of minus 25 C (minus 12 F). The wine is a dark crimson color and has the body and middle pallet that Norton noticeably lacks but for which Cabernet is so renowned. It also is reminiscent of Merlot. We have not held stocks of wine long enough to comment on the extended aging ability of Crimson Cabernet, but of the three grand parents that we can identify (Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Vitis Cinerea) all make wines that markedly improve with age. Cabernet Diane Click to view Photos Click for Tasting Notes Sold Out for 2012 Cabernet Diane has the same parentage as Crimson Cabernet: Cabernet Sauvignon (clone from Rutherford, Ca) crossed with Norton (“Monticello” clone). Also a red wine grape intended for the production of barrel aged dry wine of the highest quality. Size of berries and clusters are similar to the larger versions of Norton. It ripens a few days later than Crimson Cabernet and should only be grown in locations that can properly ripen Norton. In 2006 in Illinois the grapes were harvested on 9/26/06, with a Brix of 22.5, ph 3.32 and an acid of 8.9. Harvest could have been delayed till mid October. . We did not notice any winter damage in 2010 at temperatures of minus 25 C (minus 12 F). Like Crimson Cabernet it grows well in the early seasons. It is extremely healthy, and grows at a more methodical rate making it unusually easy to manage. The canes have a downward drooping attitude. It should be cane pruned on a single curtain. The wine is darker and more intense than Crimson Cabernet favoring its grandparent Cabernet Franc. When blended with Crimson Cabernet a most interesting and complex wine is the result. Zinthiana Click to view Pictures Click for Tasting Notes Sold Out for 2012 Zinfandel (clone from northern Napa Valley) crossed with Norton (“Monticello” clone). If there ever was an All American Grape, this is it: the unique grape of the West crossed with the unique grape of the East. (We love Zinfandel and think it is one of the world’s great wine grapes.) The berries are medium black in size. The large conical clusters are always well filled out (like that of almost all Norton crosses). In 2006 the grapes were harvested on September 26th with a Brix of 23.0, a ph of 3.33, and an acid of 8.85. These also could have been allowed to hang much later. The vine is vigorous but so far not excessively so. The canes also have a downward drooping attitude and the vine is easily managed with cane pruning on a single curtain. We have not noticed any particular disease, insect, or bird problems. We did not notice any winter damage in 2010 at temperatures of minus 25 C (minus 12 F). The dark full bodied wine is fruity and delightful, almost ready to drink months after harvest. The flavors are complex and Italianesque in nature. WHITE VARIETIES Aphrodite Click to view Pictures Click for Tasting Notes This gorgeous vine looks like it was designed by Botticelli and would easily be a contender for the most beautiful vine in the world. The color of the shoots is a brilliant red instead of the usual green and remains so even into verasion. The contrasting bright green leaves are medium and uniform. The medium sized pink grapes are borne on long loose clusters. Aphrodite is Norton crossed with one of the major Portuguese wine varieties. The white wine has a light golden color with excellent body and a clean smooth finish. Harvested on September 1st with a Brix of 22.0, ph 3.29 and Acid 7.5. To see this vine is to fall in love at first sight. We have not noticed any particular disease, insect, or bird problems, except in one swampy location that had standing water in the vineyard where some Crown Gall was observed. This is not a vine for low, flat, wet fields. In 2010 we did not observe any winter damage at temperatures of minus 25 C (minus 12 F). Cabernet Doré Click to view Pictures Click for Tasting Notes (Pronounced like "what's behind Door A" ) Cabernet Sauvingon has one white berried parent, and we suspect the unknown Vinifera parent of Norton just might be a white grape as well. In any event Cabernet Doré is a white grape that makes an excellent white wine resembling a Sauvignon Blanc that has been tamed with a bit of Semillon. There is no trace of American character and the wine has the soft finish and extremely pleasant aftertaste that we have noticed in many Norton crosses. In 2007 the grapes were harvested on September 28th, (Brix 22, ph 3.32 and Acid 8.1). The 2008 Cabernet Doré wine made in central Illinois was the best white wine we have tasted in 20 years, bar none. Cabernet Doré has the health and good vineyard habits that one would expect from its breeding and is from the same litter as the two red crosses listed above: Cabernet Sauvignon (clone from Rutherford, Ca) crossed with Norton (“Monticello” clone). The berries and bunches are medium sized. The shoots want to grow in a very upward manner making it an ideal vine for any vertical shoot positioning system. We have not noticed any particular disease, insect, or bird problems. We did not notice any winter damage in 2010 at temperatures of minus 25 C (minus 12 F). White Norton Click to view Pictures Click for Tasting Notes Also a white berried grape from Cabernet Sauvignon (clone from Rutherford, Ca) crossed with Norton (“Monticello” clone), although it is remarkably different in appearance and character from its sister Cabernet Doré. The berries and clusters are slightly larger than the size of Norton clusters. Harvested on September 2nd (Brix 22.3, ph 3.32 and Acid 7.5). The juice of White Norton is white and clear and the crushed juice falls extremely clear overnight making it a gem to work with in the cellar. We have not noticed any particular disease, insect, or bird problems. We did not notice any winter damage in 2010 at temperatures of minus 25 C (minus 12 F). White Cynfandel Click to view Pictures Click for Tasting Notes Sold Out for 2011 White Cynfandel (like its sister vine Zinthinana) is a cross of Zinfandel with Norton. This is a highly productive vine with large long clusters. It has the good health, vigor and hardiness that all DVR releases exhibit. This is a late season variety, like Norton, and the grapes should be harvested between 22-23 Brix, as White Cynfandel is a high sugar producer that can easily run to a Brix of 26 or higher if left to hang. The wine is very spicy and similar to a fragrant Sauvignon Blanc. The color is a beautiful greenish-yellow reminiscent of young Austrian white wine. In 2010 we did not observe any winter damage at temperatures of minus 25 C (minus 12 F). |
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