Hidden Meadow Vineyard *

Wine: Winery: Ambiance: Feb 16, 2012

Norton Wine Review: Hidden (like try to find this place) Meadow Vineyard in Jemison, AL is a new community treat if and when you figure out where its true address can be found. Here you will find an enthusiastic Bill Bailey and his wife, Jeanette, ready to show off what they have created from scratch. They are more than willing to show off their home built, nicely appointed tasting room, the working end of the winery and a comfortable out door seating area to view the rural setting of their vines. At this time they have four sweet muscadine wines to appease their neighbors, two fruit wines, Niagra and Concord examples, a New York juice, dry Riesling worthy of purchase and a 2010 Norton from vines set out in 2005/2006. Unique to me was the fact that the wine had been aged for six-to-nine months in 30 gallon Michigan oak barrels that supposedly react quicker to the oak than in customary 60 gallon barrels. Next was the fact that the Norton wine color appeared as a blush or rose. Yes, it did detract from the taste visually, but as in another nearby Norton winery which had the same Norton attribute, you just have to psychologically override your visual prejudices to the presented wine color. I think more needs to be studied to understand this Deep South phenomenon. As for taste this Norton example needs more time in the bottle, but in its current presentation, lots of atypical strawberry overtones can be found in this young wine. Again, this is a spanking, brand new endeavor and time will tell the final tale.