2004 Avenius Blanc
Palate
Round texture, green apples, with a bright, stony acidity.
Aromas
Ripe melon, apricot, toast, mineral and fresh hay.
Food Pairings
Fresh shellfish or morels lightly sautéed in butter.
Vineyard
Avenius Vineyard is owned and operated by Shari Avenius, who is also Linden Vineyard’s director. It is located on the Blue Ridge one half mile north of Linden Vineyards at an elevation of 1,300 feet on a steep northeast facing slope. Soils are well- drained rocky greenstone and shale. The vines were planted in 1996 and are trained on the French lyre trellising system. Yields in 2004 were abnormally low due to poor growing conditions in 2003.
Vintage
2004 can best be categorized as a roller coaster vintage. The growing season was quite good, with a very early flowering due to a hot May, below normal summer temperatures, and slightly higher than normal rainfall. Mid August through early September was a beautiful window of perfect ripening weather. Low crop levels combined with an early flowering resulted in a very early start of the harvest under ideal conditions. Very small yields of 10hl/H (less than 1 ton/acre) give the wine good concentration.
Winemaking
Chilled grapes were sorted, pressed, juice settled and then barrel fermented in older French oak. 69% Chardonnay and 31% Sauvignon Blanc. No malolactic fermentation. Aged sur lie in barrel for 10 months. This is a wine that expresses the Avenius terroir and minerality. We find that this site dictates its character much more than grape variety. 81 cases produced. This wine will improve in the bottle for 2 to 5 years post bottling.
Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2004 Vintage | 2004 Avenius Blanc