2019 Linden Petit Verdot
Style
Jammy, full bodied, generous, dark and sappy with an herbal, dry, dusty finish.
Food Pairings
Grilled or roasted meats and root vegetables. Middle eastern seasoned Kebobs.
Vineyards
Hardscrabble Vineyard (60%), 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 15 to 25 years.
Avenius Vineyard (23%), Warren Co. is just 1 mile north of Linden Vineyards at 1,300 feet contributes good acidity and verve. Petit Verdot planted in 1998
Boisseau Vineyard (17%), 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.
Vintage
Bud break in late April was normal and consistent. A warm, wet May stimulated rapid shoot growth.
An early bloom (late May through early June) was successful under ideal conditions (warm and sunny). The difference in cluster size and quantity was noticeable with Petit Verdot having larger than normal bunches.
Late June was marked by a moderate hailstorm that bruised and damaged berries on the top/west side of the canopy. Most, but not all of these berries shriveled and fell off. However there were still a significant number of compromised berries that would have the potential to present rot and uneven ripening issues later in the season.
July started a long hot dry period, which would last until harvest was over. There remained ample moisture in the ground, so vines did not slow their vegetative cycle until early August (right on time for véraison). A hot, dry August accelerated ripening.
Petit Verdot was picked under hot dry conditions, which is most unusual as a few decades ago we often had to wear gloves to keep our fingers warm. Harvest was September 25 through 27, 2019.
Winemaking
Grapes hand sorted before destemming and then again afterwards to remove compromised berries and stem pieces. Extraction techniques for Petit Verdot were gentle. Fermentation temperatures were cool with pump overs only once a day. Time on skins was ten days. The wine was aged in older French oak barrels. Bottled February 2021. 100% Petit Verdot. 14.3% alcohol by volume. 2,288 bottles produced. Drink through 2030.
Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2019 Vintage | 2019 Linden Petit Verdot