Fruit
100% Virginia Hewe’s Crab

Site
Countryside Farm & Nursery - Augusta County, 1260’ elevation
Foggy Ridge - Dugspur, Carroll County, Virginia 2720’ elevation

Vinification
The process of making this pommeau started in the 2019 vintage, when three barrels of Virginia Hewe’s Crab cider were reserved for distillation taking place in the summer of 2020. The resulting brandy was aged for one year in a combination of a Hungarian oak 40L barrel and glass carboys. In the fall of 2021, freshly pressed Virginia Hewe’s juice was blended with a mixture of predominately aged brandy with a small portion of un-aged 2021 distillate as well. This process stabilizes the juice, preventing fermentation and dropped the alcohol of the brandy from 60-70% to a calculated 18%. This process is performed each year, adding to the complexity of our pommeau solera. Each year proceeding year we remove half of the aged wine and replacing it with fresh. The solera resides in a domestic Black Locust barrel coopered by East Coast Woodbarrels of Beech Creek, Pennsylvania. This year’s blend is comprised of 42% 2021, 42% 2022, and 16% 2023.

Notes
It is no surprise that our Pommeau is one of the most joyful things we get to make each year. Beyond it being utterly delicious, its process allows us to see a rebirth of cider that otherwise might not have been too charming on its own. Distillation provides us an outlet for both barrels that don’t make the cut for expressive quality and fruit that is too bountiful for our cider needs. By electing to produce this by way of a solera we see the annual pommeau slowly builds complexity all the while retaining evolving consistently year to year. This year’s release shows a little more depth and allows for the marriage between the brandy and aged juice to shine. No cryoconcentration was used nor any added sulfites.

23 Cases Produced, Alc. 18% by Volume, 500ml

Label artwork by Edward Beyer. In 1858, his Album of Virginia illustrated our valley’s famed spring resorts and natural landscapes.

*Available for shipments in Virginia & Washington DC OR pick-up at Oakley Farm. Ship to other states here. Shipments may be delayed based on temperatures.