In 1743, Dodon’s thoroughbred, Dungannon won the first recorded horse race in Maryland, the Annapolis Subscription Plate. The Dodon’s Collector’s Series Merlot-based red blend holds the namesake today.
Variety: 69% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Franc
Vinification: Hand harvested, destemmed and sorted, free run juice fermented in stainless steel tanks with pump overs, 30-day maceration, and aged for 21 months in French oak
To salute the truth conjures a desire to embrace the verities of life and to live with fervor, courage, and conviviality.
Dodon wines are the product of our relationship with nature– even in challenging vintages. Dodon’s first fortified wine, Salute the Truth, is no exception. After devasting rainfall during August and September of 2018, the fruit and the resulting red wine lacked concentration and depth. Rather than bottle a wine with these characteristics, we distilled half the wine into brandy, and blended it back into the Merlot that remained in the cellar. After nearly two years in barrel, we let the wine mingle with small quantities of fresh Merlot berries during the 2021 harvest, adding body, sweetness and depth to the final blend. It rested in barrel for seven more months before bottling. Because it can be served with sweet and savory foods, it is one of our favorite wines to pair.
Variety: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot
Vinification: Hand harvested and sorted. Dodon–grown wine was distilled at McClintock Distillery and then used
to fortify estate-Merlot, and aged in French oak for 3 years.
ABV: 16.3%
Richly textured, fruit forward and smooth finish with flavors of raspberry and plum. Bouqet of violets and licorice.
Vidal Blanc grapes co-fermented with fresh ginger, oranges and lemons. 12% ABV. $20/bottle
Made from Enterprise, Fuji, Goldrush, and Honeycrisp apples in 2018 (limited quantity). 11% ABV. $20/bottle
Silver medal in 2020 Maryland Governor's Cup Competition. 100% Vidal Blanc. Sparkling wine made by the Traditional Method. Tirage 2019; disgorged in 2022. 13.5% ABV. $35/bottle
1783 Forest Drive
#343
Annapolis, MD 21401
