2015 Cross J Norton Stone Hill Winery

Fifteen years ago, we took a Missouri wine tour through and around Herman, MO. We did not find any Norton wines to write home about. Then, some friends took a similar wine tour. They returned with bottles to share. This was our first tasting: They were kind enough to share their best pick from their tastings of Norton wines. The Cross J Norton was much better than we had experienced. It had a good fruit nose. The wine was smooth, different from the bitty, gritty, heavy Missouri Norton’s. In drinking, we enjoyed real nuances of black cherry, cocoa, slate and very light tannin. This wine maker discovered using stainless steel, rather than oak, produced a finer quality wine. This Norton had legs in light purple, compared to dark red of others. Also, the bottle was corked with a steel twist top, which seems to go with it as a stainless-steel product. Here is a Norton to enjoy now, or surprise others by bringing to a party.