Farm Cider, Pommage 2024/2025

Site

Oakley Farm - Warm Springs, Bath County Virginia 2400’ elevation 
High-density orchard on G11/G41 rootstock planted in 2019 located in the ‘hay field’
site of the farm’s original 19th century orchard planted by the Francisco family 
Soil composition: Hayter loam on top of Ordovician limestone.
Practicing regenerative organic farming. Bio-intensive rotation of poultry and sheep, rotational cover crops within drip lines. No use of heavy metal sprays, no cultivation. Biannual biological mowing only.

Fruit

2025 - 11% Riene de Pomme

2024- 63% Solaria, 5% Golden Hornet, 5% Golden Russet, 4% Dabinett, 4% Collaos, 4% Piel de Sapa, 4% Wickson

Vinification

Solarina’s staggered bloom and cold resiliency continued to prove its value as one of our most productive varietals in the face of routine spring frost. The bulk of the varietal was harvested in mid to late September, making multiple picks over several weeks to ensure ideal ripeness. Later picks of above mentioned varietals were added to the continuous fermentation later in October. Upon completing an uninoculated, native primary fermentation, the barrel sit undisturbed for nearly a year until Riene de Pomme was harvested in September 2025. Once actively fermenting, the juice of this apple was added to the 2024 base cider as a calculated liqueur de tirage, allowing the cider to ferment in bottle, providing its natural carbonation. This method sits somewhere between traditional and petulant natural methods. In early spring 2026, bottles were hand disgorged without a dosage before their release. No additions of SO2 were made at any stage of this wine.

Notes

This year’s Pommage has certainly cemented our love affair with two distinct things: the Solarina apple and the process of conditioning a cider with the next year’s juice. Now having two vintages featuring relatively similar percentages of this lovely Asturian varietal, we are beginning to understand its profile and how well it marries with a minority portion of bittersweet fruit. What is lacks in structure it provides double in its unique aromatics. Rarely do we find aromatics that translate to the palate but Solarina’s sweet mint, eucalyptus, menthol aroma firmly jumps out of the glass and stays with you as it hits your mouth. As the cider transitions to the palate, it cranks up its complexity with an expressive concentration of balsamic reduction and pixie candy from Riene de Pomme and others. Combing vintages allows us to bring expressive freshness from one year and aged complexity from the previous, all the while keeping the cider as pure as possible. 

327 bottles produced, 7.32% alcohol by volume, 750ml