Palate

Dry, dense with good length.

Aromas

Floral, lavender, lemon zest.

Food Pairings

Spicy sausages, charcuterie and any dishes that go well with beer.

Vineyard

Hardscrabble (Estate) Fauquier Co., on top of the Blue Ridge at an elevation of 1,100 to 1,300 feet on an eastern slope. Deep, well-drained, volcanic-origin greenstone and granite soils. Lyre and VSP training. Vines planted in 1997.

Vintage

The winter of 2014/15 was colder than average, but unlike the winter of 2013/14, there was no vine or bud damage. Bud break was slightly late. May was unusually dry and consequentially accelerated growth and flowering. Right around flowering June turned very wet, however pollination and berry set was successful, as temperatures remained warm.

Wet spells continued into July and we were bracing ourselves for a possible negative impact on wine quality. The rains stopped in mid-July, but shoot growth continued into early August, which is later than ideal. With a very dry August, vine growth stopped and vines were in good balance going into harvest.

September gave us ideal conditions for ripening. Threats of rain never came to fruition. Cool, dry nights helped retain acidity and aromatics. Harvest was compressed with never a day off. Riesling harvest was September 9, and Vidal harvest was September 21.

Winemaking

Riesling contributes aroma, stone fruit and acidity; Vidal gives spice, weight, and structure. The two are fermented separately. Vidal is fermented warm (70F ) and Riesling cool (60F). The wine was bottled in February 2016. It is ready to drink after one or two years of bottle age. 66% Riesling and 34% Vidal. 12.0% alcohol. Only 4 grams of residual sugar. 7.0 grams/ liter titratable acidity. 290 cases produced. Drink through 2020.

Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2015 Vintage | 2015 Riesling Vidal