Malus x Dolgo - 2025 Release

Site
Hightown Orchard - Highland County, VA 3100’ elevation. Unsprayed, 40-50 year old trees.

Fruit
100% Dolgo Crabapple

Vinification
Fruit was harvested the second week of August of 2021 and ground into covered macro bins for a 48 hour cold soak before being pressed directly to a handful of neutral French oak barrels. The cider spontaneously keeved, preserving as much as ~20g/L of residual sugar. A barrel featuring a lower level of residual sugar was selected early in its élevage to be bottled as part of Special Edition No. 08 in February of 2022. The second barrel sat undisturbed for an additional 12 months before being racked off its gross/fine lees in February of 2023 and bottled as Special Edition No. 12. The third ’21 was blended with 2022 Dolgo cider, containing less residual sugar, and aged for an additional 29 months before being racked to tank for bottling during the summer of 2025. The resulting cider was force carbonated in-keg and bottled under counter pressure. No additions of SO2 were made at any stage of this cider.

Notes
2023 and 2024 were tough years for Dolgo Crabapples with early frosts keeping harvests severely limited. Such conditions otherwise encouraged us to continue to stretch out previous vintages, observing how Dolgo cider would mature under extended aging. There is quite possibly no other four year barrel aged cider in our domestic market and Dolgo might be one of the only apples to make this possible. Each release continues to impress us, yielding continued composure and evolving complexity. This year’s release has finally let go of its intensely primary fruit qualities, breaking down into a balsamic infused strawberry jam. The acid will never go away but has evolved to be broader and more sappy. Years in-barrel provide balsam wood aromatic tones. It is remarkable how well a combination of acid and residual sugar can age. 

13 cases produced, 6.9% Alc. by Volume, 750ml