If you trace the taste trail back further (which I did one year, out of curiosity, I managed to get hold of about 15 varieties that were all in season at the same time, and they took me back as far as the 17th century but only as far as the Gala for current apples) it's not just the texture of the apples that have changed - it's the balance of sweet and acid. A lot of recent apples seem to have a lot more sugar.