2019 ‘BRICOLAGE’

Albemarle, Nelson, and Augusta Counties

Traditional Method Sparkling Cider, 750 mL

120 Cases Produced

pH: 3.84 | TA: 5.4 g/L | ABV: 7.3% | TSO2: 0 ppm

All fruit ferments without modification with ambient yeasts. Ciders are unfined and unfiltered.

Artwork:

  • A collage of apple skins from that year’s harvest

Fruit/Site:

  • This cider is the central focus of the project. All fruit is foraged from unsprayed crab, heirloom, and seedling trees, mostly sourced from rocky soils at higher elevations. A cuvée of chance and discovery.

Season:

  • The heat and drought started harvest in early August and limited later disease pressures, offering a wealth of trees holding sound fruit. A gift of a first vintage.

Fermentation/Development:

  • A continuous fermentation carried through the full harvest window as fruit ripened: five days of active fermentation on skins before pressing into a used 500 L French oak puncheon and two used 350 L French oak barrels.

  • The cider aged undisturbed on gross lees for 9 months. Intentionally left un-topped, each barrel developed a positive voile that protected the cider from excessive oxidation and contributed mineral complexity.

  • Barrels were blended together and bottled with organic sugar and its own yeast culture on the 2020 summer solstice. Bottles aged sur lattes for 15-18 months before being riddled and disgorged by hand. No SO2 additions were made.

Tasting:

  • Violets, mountain mint, caramelized plum, river rocks