Horst Vineyards: Creative, competitive, surprising

David Horst and his awards for his 2011 Norton and blackberry wine.

In a battle of Nortons, Horst Vineyards won a silver medal in the 2013 Missouri Wine Competition. The bronze medalist was Viandel Vineyard, less than five miles east on US 60. Stone Hill won the gold.

Owner David Horst’s 2011 Norton — leaner and a little more heavily oaked than Viandel’s — also won a silver award at the San Francisco Chronicle competition.

While he clearly has a competitive spirit, when it comes to the actual results of the wine, he says, “We don’t make the fighting kind; we make the loving kind.”

Missouri Wine Snob notes

Chardonel: A little oak and a lot of body.

Chambourcin: More oak, less spice than typical for this vartiety, with a smooth yet hearty body.

Country Road Red: Half Chambourcin, half St. Vincent — a bright, medium-bodied result.

And one of the best surprises of the tour —

Blackberry: This balanced wine with subtle fruit flavors tastes much less sweet than its sugar content would suggest. The experience is more like a grape wine than a fruit wine. For me, that’s a good thing.