2007 Late Harvest Vidal
Palate
Rich, round, mouth-coating entry. Ripe peach, dried herbs with an orange zest finish.
Aromas
Dried pineapple, lavender, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract.
Food Pairings
Rich, decadent main courses such as foie gras or desserts that feature fruits — especially apricots, peaches, pears or dried fruits. Very ripe triple cream cheeses and sheep cheeses from the Pyrenees and Virginia.
Vineyard
Hardscrabble Vineyard (100%), Fauquier County, on top of the Blue Ridge at an elevation of 1300 feet on a northeastern slope. Deep, well-drained granitic soils. The block dedicated to Late Harvest is on a rocky slope and was planted in 1985. Wine yield was 20hl/H .
Vintage
2007 was an easy growing year. We experienced temperatures well below freezing during the second week of April, but most buds were still relatively dormant and escaped damage. Spring, and in fact the entire growing season, was very dry, with slightly above average temperatures. There was enough rain to keep the vines healthy, however it became apparent the crop levels needed to be thinned down early as shoot growth was slow with short internode lengths. Most vineyard blocks ceased shoot tip development before véraison. It was at this point that we knew that 2007 was to be a potentially special vintage.
A two inch rain on in the third week of August was beneficially refreshing. September and October were dry and cool. Late Harvest Vidal was harvested November 13th and 27th (two passes).
Winemaking
100% Vidal, the grapes are frozen and pressed while frozen. Only the first thawed juice is used (AKA icewine). The wine fermented slowly in old French oak and was stopped by chilling (putting the barrels outside in February) to retain fruit and sweetness. This wine will become more honeyed and spicier with age. Bottled in August 2008. 154 cases (375 ml) produced.
Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2007 Vintage | 2007 Late Harvest Vidal