Linden Update | May 12, 2022
Village Chardonnay Four-pack: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
Village Chardonnay
At the foot of an unremarkable slope lies a string of unremarkable sleepy bucolic villages producing the world’s most remarkable white wines. The wines are nuanced, textured, complex, and age worthy. They are expressive of their individual plots of land and of their winemaker’s intent. Their labels proudly state the name of the village from which the grapes were grown. The region is Burgundy. And the grape is Chardonnay.
These wines are not buttery and oaky, they do not have tropical fruit aromas, nor do they have any notes of sweetness.
As with so many fine things in life that become popular, Chardonnay is now a brand, which is the death knell of quality and individuality. Today much of the world’s Chardonnay is grown in hot irrigated deserts. The vines are managed by computers and machines, often untouched by human hands. Winemaking is manipulated to reflect a marketer’s vision of what sells.
At Linden we have always been inspired by those Burgundian villages. We’ve spent the last three decades gleaning and emulating their winegrowing intentions and philosophies. Our vinous interpretation of our place has slowly evolved. Linden’s single vineyard expressions (Avenius, Boisseau and Hardscrabble) are wines that best express individual terroirs and are intended for aging.
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. You won’t find any butter, oak, or flabbiness.
As we head into the summer months, fish and seafood find a more frequent presence at the table. This is where Village Chardonnay sings. To convince you, we have a four-vintage offering. Each vintage is unique, as each growing season is unique. We’ve included fish pairing suggestions based on years of research!
2017
Mineral, complex, dense and focused. This wine demands center stage, so keep the fish and the preparation simple: trout, cod, whitefish
2018
Herbal notes of thyme and lemon balm with a powerful finish that pops like a wedge of lemon. The Chesapeake comes to mind. An endless summer of oysters, crab cakes and rockfish.
2019
Ripe, broad, and expansive. Salmon, swordfish, and monkfish. Fire up the grill.
2020
Primary, playful, and exuberant. Catfish, tilapia and spiced shrimp. You may reach for the spice rack with this vintage.
Village Chardonnay Four-pack | $128
Village Chardonnay Four-pack is offered at $128. Through Linden Direct, our 10% case discount applies to any purchase of 12 bottles including the 4 bottles in our offering.
Ordering
Linden wines are also offered through Linden Direct.
Our 10% case discount applies to any purchase of twelve bottles, including the 4 bottles in our offering.
For a period of time, shipping is free for orders of four bottles or more.
Linden ships via UPS to VA, MD, and DC.
Shipping could be delayed in the event of very warm temperatures.
Arrangements to pick up at Linden can also be made in advance.
Sunflowers are being planted around Linden’s new solar panels.
Hardscrabble Chardonnay vines, May 11, 2022
Vine Update
It has been a cool, slow start to vintage 2022. After several frost scares, the vines are fine (although we are still in recovery mode from the stress and worry). The weather has slowed vine development and allowed us to keep pace with the hand work that is now in full swing. Shoot thinning is the main task. We’ll be carefully removing unwanted shoots from each of our 30,000+ vines over the next few weeks.
If you are curious, we will be updating our work progress on a regular basis:
Linden Vineyards / Hardscrabble Journal and Instagram |Facebook accounts.
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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: April 27, 2022