Style

Primary, playful, and exuberant. Linden’s Village Chardonnays are produced from younger vines and certain parcels of each three of our vineyards. Vintage plays a significant role in their personality. These wines are pure and fresh and show well when young. 2020 was a classic year. You won’t find any butter, oak, or flabbiness.

Food Pairings

Catfish, tilapia and spiced shrimp. You may reach for the spice rack with this vintage.

Vineyard

Hardscrabble Vineyard (85%), 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 acidity and good structure. Vines planted in 1985, 1988, 1994 and 2010, 2014 and 2016. VSP and French Lyre training systems.

Boisseau Vineyard (15%) is owned and operated by Richard Boisseau. It is located in Front Royal Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, about 5 miles west of Linden. The vineyard was planted in 2000. It is vertically shoot positioned. Dijon clones 96 and 76 are planted on a high bluff above the valley floor. Exposure is west. Soils are a deep clay/silt loam. 

Vintage

Winter ended early as March warmed and quickly initiating a very early bud break. From early April to early May we were on frost alert with many close calls. May 9 (Mother’s Day) finally nipped Chardonnay vines resulting in reduced yields.

Cooler than average April and May also slowed vine development, but a warm streak in June allowed for good flowering and berry set. A hot, dry mid-July slowed vine growth at just the right time. The vines were looking balanced and ready to put their energy into ripening at as veraison was soon to begin.

Late July gave us a few welcome rain showers that refreshed the vines, but those showers eventually became more steady rains and by mid-August the soils were close to saturated. This slowed the veraison process and pushed predicted harvest dates 7 to 10 days behind average. Smoke haze from the west coast fires filtered sunlight on some days.

Harvest was slow to begin. Boisseau Chardonnay was picked September 9 and Hardscrabble on September 15 and 18. Juice trended towards low sugars, but had very precise acidity and good balance.

Winemaking

Chilled grapes were sorted, pressed, juice settled and then barrel fermented warm (70's F) in old, neutral French oak. No malolactic fermentation. Aged sur lie in barrel for 10 months. 2,946 bottles produced. This wine will improve in the bottle for many years past vintage. Drink 2024 to 2028. Alcohol 12.9%.

Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2020 Vintage | 2020 Avenius Chardonnay