Linden Update | Week of May 3, 2020
We are imagining what it will be like to have visitors again.
May Brings a Hint of Optimism
This April was the cruelest month, but the sun and warmth of our first May weekend brings an attitude adjustment that accompanies finer weather. A flush of growth will finally bring activity to the vineyard.
Avenius Chardonnay: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Raid the Cellar | Avenius Chardonnay
This is the perfect time to introduce the Avenius Chardonnay sampler. As we venture outside and eat lighter, wines that are refreshing, mineral, and cleansing belong on the table. Since its first vintage in 1998, the steep, high elevation Avenius vineyard has produced classic cool-climate-styled Chardonnays.
In the early 1990s, Shari Avenius decided to take the plunge by clearing a high ridge above her farmhouse. She initially planted Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Right away there was a distinctiveness to the wines. As the vines have aged, the wines speak even more to their mineral terroir rather than the more obvious varietal character of the grape.
This week’s sampler includes four vintages of Avenius Chardonnay. I’ve included some brief vintage notes here. Additionally, as a way of communicating texture and balance, I’ve attempted to make some athletic comparisons.
Avenius Chardonnay: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
2014
A cool, cloudy fall gave us a wine with verve and bracing acidity. 2014 is the marathon runner: light on its feet, sinewy muscles, and in it for the long haul.
2015
Classically sunny, dry, cool harvest conditions produced a wine with great depth and dimension. This is the gymnast: strong and compact but graceful.
2016
Harvest heat made 2016 a bit of an outlier. This vintage has more weight and fruit than is typical. One could say there’s even a bit of fat on the mid-palate, but there is still the trademark Avenius freshness on the finish. A shot-putter perhaps?
2017
Another dry, cool fall produced a tightly coiled wine that has amazing density and depth, but needs some age to calm it down. This is a swimmer on the starting block. One can feel the tension.
At this time purchases will be limited to only one sampler per customer.
However, at the end of Linden’s sampler campaign, for a short period of time, all of the 2017 wines will be available for purchase in unrestricted quantities.
Linden’s Avenius Chardonnay four-bottle sampler will be available for $152.
Other wines can be included to qualify for a 12-bottle discount of 10%.
We cannot accommodate pickups at this time as we feel an obligation to comply with CDC social distancing guidelines. Believe me we will be very glad to see you at the proper time.
Linden Direct
Linden now ships wine via UPS to the District of Columbia in addition to Virginia. We are offering free shipping and handling during our closure.
We shamelessly remain stubborn Luddites, so you’ll have to call in your order the old-fashioned way: 540-364-1997. Shari is working in her vineyard in the morning but in the office by the phone on weekday afternoons from 12:30 to 5:00. Otherwise please leave a message.
Vineyard Isolation | 2020
The seasons and the vines are not on lockdown. We continue to farm. We cannot receive visitors, but we can write. Daily entries in Hardscrabble Journal and weekly updates sent by email are our only way of keeping you informed.
See all of Jim's posts on life and work since March 16, 2020 in Vineyard Isolation | 2020.
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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: Week of May 3, 2020