2016 Linden Riesling

Style

This is a pretty, light bodied, playfully styled Riesling. The nose has clear and pristine citrus zest aromas with a splash of tarragon. Not complex, but confident. The palate is refreshing, with a ying yang melding of sweet and tart. A light touch of dry tannins at the end keeps the wine lingering.

Food Pairings

South Asian cuisine, charcuterie and any dish that also pairs well with beer.

Vineyard

Hardscrabble (Estate) Fauquier Co., on top of the Blue Ridge at an elevation of 1,100 to 1,200 feet on an eastern slope. Well drained volcanic-origin greenstone and granite soils. Lyre training. Vines planted in 1997.

Vintage

2018 was with wettest year ever recorded in this area. Much of that rain fell during the growing season. To say the vintage was challenging would be an understatement. Facing reality by strategically “punting” was the best way to approach growing and winemaking decisions. The result: light, pretty, quaffable Germanic style Riesling.
Bud break was about a week late, but then May turned warm stimulating vigorous shoot growth and long internode length. Continued wet conditions reduced berry set in June leading to small clusters. Two gloriously sunny, dry weeks in early July gave hope of a turn around, but it was not to be. The vines did not stop their vegetative growth by veraison. The rains kept coming and the vines continued to grow leaves rather than ripen grapes.
Our harvest parameter was to pick before the grapes started any degradation (rot being the main concern). Flavors and aromatics were subtle but varietal. Acidities were high, but within the bounds of making a balanced wine. The problem was a lack of concentration. The winemaking goal was to make a “pretty” wine that would be fresh and quaffable.

Winemaking

Riesling was fermented relatively cool (16° C). Aged in stainless steel. The wine was bottled in May of 2019. It is ready to drink after one or two years of bottle age. 9.5% alcohol. 2,002 bottles produced. Drink through 2022.

White Wines, 2016 VintageLInden Vineyards