Palate

Round, soft and creamy lanolin texture with sweet tropical fruit and a grapefruit finish.

Aromas

Lilacs, ripe pear, dried pineapple, hazelnut and butterscotch.

Food Pairing

Lovely with roasted chicken (hot or cold), pasta with cream sauce and lobster.

Vineyard

Hardscrabble Vineyard (40%), Fauquier Co. on top of the Blue Ridge at 1,300 to 1,400 feet with an eastern to southern slope. Deep, well-drained mineral soils give acidity and good structure. Vine ages from 15 to 24 years. VSP and French Lyre training systems.

Avenius Vineyard (50%), Warren Co. is just 1 mile north of Linden Vineyards at 1,300 feet contributes good acidity and verve. Vines planted in 1996.

Vintage

Early summer was wetter than normal, but each month progressively became hotter and drier. Most of August was a drought, putting a much needed halt to vine vegetative growth. Very late August through most of September alternated between 2 or 3 days of rain and 4 or 5 days of sunny, warm conditions. In the vineyard, because of the wetter than normal conditions, canopy and cover crop management required much precision and labor. Leaf pulling severity was much more extreme than 2007. Harvest was September 10 through 22, 2009.

Winemaking

Chilled grapes were sorted, pressed, juice settled and then barrel fermented in both new and older French oak. The Avenius portion was fermented and aged in a concrete egg. Partial malolactic fermentation. Aged sur lie for 10 months. This 2009 Linden Chardonnay is comprised of declassified Hardscrabble Chardonnay barrels, Avenius “egg aged”, along with press wine. 206 cases produced. This wine will improve in the bottle for several years. Drink now through 2013.

Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2009 Vintage | 2009 Chardonnay