2011 Rosé

Palate

Lively, refreshing with a lemon zest finish that tangos with light tannins.

Aromas

Sour cherry, red raspberry, lingonberry, mint and white peach.

Food Pairings

A good wine for picnics or al fresco dining. Cold meats, cold seafood, smoked fish and tabbouleh all work well.

Vineyard

Hardscrabble (70%): 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 27 years.

Boisseau (20%): Western facing with loamy soils, it is in the Shenandoah Valley in the town of Front Royal, about 6 miles from Linden.

Avenius Vineyard (10%) is located on the Blue Ridge one-half mile north of Linden Vineyards at an elevation of 1,300 feet on a steep east facing slope. Soils are well drained, rocky, greenstone and granite.

Vintage

The majority of the growing season of 2011 was close to perfect with dry, warm conditions all summer. Vines were in good balance with a little water stress by late August. We were ready for our 7th good harvest in a row.

It was not to be. The rains started in late August with the, albeit brief, appearance of the residual rains of Irene. This one event was not a problem. The vines needed some refreshment and the clusters were unaffected. Unfortunately Irene was just the beginning of a series of rain events that lasted through the entire month of September.

It was the later ripening reds that took the brunt of the storms. Berry degradation and botrytis rot dictated picking schedules. Many a cluster was left in the vineyard. Sorting tables were running slowly. A record amount of Rosé was made at Linden as much draining (bleeding) of red juice was necessitated by the rainy vintage. The lower sugars and higher acidities made for a very balanced Rosé in 2011. Harvest was from September 14 to October 8.

Winemaking

The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. This vintage’s Rosé came from red grapes where a fraction of the juice was drained (bled) off. Aged sur lie in 500 liter Hungarian oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. 353 cases were bottled on February 14, 2012. Drink now.

Red WinesJim Law