2013 Petit Verdot

Aroma

Blackberry compote, rosemary, lavender, and black currant.

Palate

Ripe bramble fruits with savory herbal notes. Full bodied with moderately high acidity and tannins. Lots of grip.

Food pairing

Braised meats, chili, barbecued ribs, or spicy sausages.

Vineyards

  • Hardscrabble Vineyard (80%), 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 cherry character and good tannin structure. Vine ages from 7 to 25 years.

  • Boisseau Vineyard (10%), 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. Boisseau contributes 'fat' to the blend. The vines were planted in 2000 and are trained on cordon/VSP trellising.

  • Avenius Vineyard (10%), Warren Co. is just 1 mile north of Linden Vineyards at 1,300 feet contributes good acidity and verve. Petit Verdot planted in 1998.

Vintage

2013 was a difficult growing season that metamorphosed into a fabulous fall harvest. Bud break was very late. Most of the summer was wet, resulting in unruly vegetative growth and extra vineyard work. August continued this pattern until the last week when the weather broke.
September defines the quality and style of the wine. The bad behavior of the previous six months can be easily forgiven and forgotten if September is bright and sunny. September 2013 rewarded us for all our diligence during the growing season. The wild child of summer finally found a niche and thrived into early adulthood. With the exception of one very brief rain shower, we had no rain in September. This is quite remarkable in the mid-Atlantic. Days were warm and sunny, nights were very cool.
Petit Verdot had to be rushed in before some October rains did too much damage. The resulting wine has fresh acidity and a good core. It will be a good candidate for aging. Harvest was from October 4 (Boisseau) until October 14 (Hardscrabble).

Winemaking

We hand sort before destemming and then again afterwards to remove compromised berries and stem pieces. Fermentation began by adding a bit of fermenting juice from an actively fermenting bin. Extraction techniques for Petit Verdot are gentler in contrast to Cabernet Sauvignon. Temperatures are cooler, pump overs less frequent and time on skins is reduced. The wine was aged in older oak barrels and puncheons (French and Hungarian) for 20 months. Bottled August 2015. 96% Petit Verdot and 4% Carmenere. 14.8% alc. 352 cases produced. Drink through 2021.

Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2013 Vintage | 2013 Petit Verdot

Kevin Osborn