[Norton]

I am in Missouri so I get access to a lot of Norton. For the first time I noticed that one winery started blending Norton. They added about 10 or 15% of Merlot one year. I am thinking that blending little bit Chambourcin would be interesting.

[ckassotis]

Quite a few Missouri wineries blend something into their Norton. It's a high acid wine, like chambourcin, so something to cut that is typically used. As for the taste, I'm not sure I would ever compare it to a Merlot. Many MO winemakers I have met compare it to a cab sav. That's not quite right either, but it is a very big wine, like cab, and unlike merlot. It often has the spice that you see in a lot of syrahs, but that can very widely even just here in MO, depending on where the grapes came from, the yeast used, etc. A little winery in Hermann produces 2 nortons - 1 produced in American oak fermented with a syrah yeast and the other produced in French oak with a typical norton yeast. Massive difference. Two completely different wines.

Quite a lot are produced wrong (in my opinion) and have left the acid alone, producing a harsh wine that convinces most that try it that they hate Norton. The acid needs to be worked, but I would never add water to do so - I'd chemically reduce it or blend with a lower acid wine after fermentation. Very interesting grape!

[terroirdejeroir]

Nice to see another winemaker from Columbia, MO. I have developed a taste for Norton myself and hope to plant some vines in 2014. I am a relative newbie and have done mostly kit wines so far, but if you ever want to talk wine with a local let me know.

[ckassotis]

Hey, absolutely. Good to see someone so close! Do you get out to a lot of the wineries/events around the state? I'm still getting a lot of experience myself - have done a whole lot more reading than I have making as of yet. I help out at some local wineries when I can to get even more experience, and am trying new things as frequently as I can. Vines would be fantastic. I doubt I'll have the ability to grow anything until I leave MO, as I'll only be here another three years or so, but that would be pretty great!

[JohnT]

Originally Posted by ckassotis

A little winery in Hermann produces 2 nortons - 1 produced in American oak fermented with a syrah yeast and the other produced in French oak with a typical norton yeast. Massive difference. Two completely different wines.

OK,

Questions:

1) what would you consider a typical norton yeast?
2) by chemically treat, do you mean k-bicarb?

[ckassotis]

Typical Norton yeast I'd say would be for a bigger wine - BDX, MT, and some of the ICV yeasts. Probably D254 and maybe D21.

Either potassium bicarb or calcium carb, depending on when you are doing the additions and how much you are adjusting.