2004 Rosé

Palate

Savory, dry, medium bodied, juicy cherry fruit and cranberries, ending with delicate tannins and bright acidity.

Aromas

Herbal strawberry, watermelon, lemon zest, and rubarb.

Food Pairings

Barbecue, grilled vegetables, cold meats, and mild cheeses.

Vineyard

Hardscrabble (60%),the estate vineyard on the Blue Ridge at 1,300 to 1,400 feet with an eastern to southern slope. Deep, well drained granite soils give cherry character and good structure. Vine ages from 3 to 20 years.

Glen Manor (30%) is owned and operated by Jeff White who is part of the Linden Vineyards staff. Glen Manor is on the west slope of the Blue Ridge about 7 miles west of Linden at an elevation of 1,100 ft . Soils are deep and well drained. Vines are 9 years old.

Boisseau (10%) is owned by Richard Boisseau. Western facing with loamy soils, it is in the Shenandoah Valley in the town of Front Royal, about 6 miles from Linden.

Vintage

The summer of 2004 was a very typical growing season, however the skies opened up in September with rains. The harvest for Rosé was in mid to late October.

Winemaking

The blend is 85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The saingee (bleeding) method was used to drain juice by taking 10% to 15% of red wine grape juice from the fermenters. Some of the Cabernet Franc was also fermented on the skins for 3 days and then pressed and blended. The blend was cold fermented and barrel aged. 163 cases were bottled on Feb. 16, 2005.

2004 Vintage, Red WinesJim Law