2013 Late Harvest Vidal
Style
2013 is a classically proportioned sweet Late Harvest wine. Aromas include cinnamoned botrytis and dried apricots. The palate starts out creamy, then spicy. It finishes with caramelized crème brûlée crunchiness.
Food Pairing
Rich, decadent, fatty and salty dishes; 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 granite soils and greenstone soils. Vines were planted in 1985 on their own roots.
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. Every vintage has its personality. Much like raising children, some vintages require more intervention and guidance as vines, through no fault of their own, take on a bit of a wild streak. Ample water availability during the growing season makes vines unruly, like kids fed too much sugary junk food. This was the case for the growing season of 2013—until September.
September defines the quality and style of the wine. The bad behavior of the previous six months can be 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 adulthood. With the exception of one brief rain shower, we had no rain in September. This was quite remarkable in the mid Atlantic. In autumn, dusty gravel roads and brown grass gladden the winemaker’s heart. Days were warm and sunny; nights were very cool. Ripening was slow, preserving very fresh acidity and aromatics in the Vidal. 2013 was a classic late harvest vintage with days and some rain to give the grapes some noble rot. Harvest was October 16, 2013.
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. This wine becomes more honeyed with age. Bottled in February 2016. 12.9% alcohol and 112 grams of residual sugar. 540 bottles (375 ml) produced. Best by 2025.
Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2013 Vintage | 2013 Late Harvest Vidal