2013 Rosé

Palate

Dances on the palate, precise and terroir-driven with a long, bright green apple finish.

Aromas

Pomegranate and watermelon

Food Pairings

A good wine for picnics or alfresco dining. Cold meats, cold seafood, smoked fish and tabbouleh all work well.

Vineyard

Hardscrabble (80%): The estate vineyard on the Blue Ridge at 1,300 to 1,400 feet with an eastern to southern slope. Deep, well-drained granite soils give cherry character and good structure. Vine ages from 3 to 27 years.

Boisseau (10%): Western facing with loamy soils, it is in the Shenandoah Valley in the town of Front Royal, about 6 miles from Linden.

Avenius Vineyard (10%) is located on the Blue Ridge one-half mile north of Linden Vineyards at an elevation of 1,300 feet on a steep east-facing slope. Soils are well-drained, rocky, greenstone, and granite.

Vintage

2013 was a difficult growing season that metamorphosed into a fabulous fall harvest. Bud break was very late. Most of the summer was wet, resulting in unruly vegetative growth and extra vineyard work. August continued this pattern until the last week when the weather broke.

Every vintage has its personality. Much like raising children, some vintages are easy, but most are not. Wet vintages require more intervention and guidance as the vines, through no fault of their own, take on a bit of a wild streak. Ample water availability during the growing season makes vines unruly, like kids fed too much sugary junk food. This was the case for the growing season of 2013. Until September.

September defines the quality and style of the wine. The bad behavior of the previous six months can be easily forgiven and forgotten if September is bright and sunny. September 2013 rewarded us for all our diligence during the growing season. The wild child of summer finally found a niche and thrived into early adulthood. With the exception of one very brief rain shower, we had no rain in September. This is quite remarkable in the mid Atlantic. In autumn, dusty gravel roads and brown grass gladden the winemaker’s heart. Days were warm and sunny, nights were very cool. Ripening was slow, preserving very fresh acidity and aromatics. Grapes had moderate sugars, high acids and loads of minerality. Several blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon were dedicated to Rose production in 2013.

Winemaking

The blend is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. This vintage’s Rosé came from a blend of grapes dedicated for Rosé and red grapes where a fraction of the juice was drained (bled) off. Aged sur lie in older 500 liter and 225 liter oak barrels. 290 cases were bottled in May 2014.

Red WinesJim Law