23 MORRIS
Amherst County
Ancestral Method Cider
Artwork:
An oil pastel approximation of the clays of the site and skin tones of the fruit
Fruit/Site:
36% Ashmeads Kernel, 27% Wickson Crab, 18% Harrison, 14% Goldrush and 5% mixed crab and seedling apples from Morris Orchard in Monroe, VA. Clays of granitic schist, 950’ elevation. Wil Barnes, grower.
Morris Orchard is a Virginia Century Farm, growing mixed fruits and vegetables and raising cattle.
Season:
The summer drought leading into harvest in 2023 gave us smaller fruit with thicker skins. This is also the largest crop yet from the higher tannin Wickson Crab. This cider has texture and ripe weight.
Fermentation/Development:
A continuous fermentation carried through the full harvest window from September through December: sorted apples soaked overnight on skins before being pressed into poly tanks. The multiple components were then blended to finish fermentation in the bottle.
Bottles aged on lees for a minimum of 6 months before being riddled and disgorged by hand.
Lab:
pH: 3.66 | ABV: 8.91% | TA: 6.24 g/L | Added SO2: 0 ppm
Tasting:
Beeswax, tequila, kaffir leaf