Palate

Warm and round, very Rubenesque, with some dry straw components.

Aromas

Orange zest, creamsicle, honeycomb, melon and mineral.

Food Pairing

Savor with a seafood risotto, buttery chicken & mushrooms or crab cakes.

Vineyard

Hardscrabble Vineyard (70%), 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 16 to 25 years. VSP and French Lyre training systems.

Avenius Vineyard (10%), Warren Co. just 1 mile north of Linden Vineyards at 1,300 feet, contributes good acidity and verve. Vines planted in 1996.

Boisseau Vineyard (300%), Warren Co. is located on a bluff above Front Royal in the Shenandoah Valley at an elevation of 600 feet. The vineyard is west facing on light, deep, well-drained loam soils. The vines were planted in 2000 and are trained on cordon/VSP trellising.

Vintage

Vintage 2010 was a good year for whites. An early bud break was followed by a flowering that was almost three weeks early with hot dry conditions continuing. Dry conditions reduced shoot growth, so only one light hedging was needed. Leaf pulling was kept to a minimum to avoid excess sun and heat on the clusters. A few critical rains in August prevented the vines from serious drought stress, but some of the young vines struggled to fill the canopy and started to yellow their basal leaves.

Chardonnay harvest was from September 1 through September 8. The sugars were high, acids low, flavors good. Grapes were very clean and healthy.

Winemaking

Chilled grapes were sorted, pressed, juice settled and then barrel fermented in both new and older French oak. Aged sur lie for 10 months. This 2010 Linden Chardonnay is comprised mostly of declassified Hardscrabble and Boisseau chardonnay barrels. 3,497 bottles produced. This wine will improve in the bottle for several years.

Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2010 Vintage | 2010 Chardonnay