2006 Avenius Sauvignon Blanc
Palate
Grapefruit zest, sassy and wild with lots of bracing, mineral acidity.
Aromas
Pungent gooseberry, kiwi, wet stone and lime zest.
Food Pairings
Simply prepared fish and shellfish. Fresh vegetables with lemon zest.
Vineyard
Avenius Vineyard is owned and operated by Shari Avenius, who is also Linden Vineyard’s director. It is located on the Blue Ridge one half mile north of Linden Vineyards at an elevation of 1,300 feet on a steep northeast facing slope. Soils are well-drained, rocky greenstone and shale. The vines were planted in 1996 and are trained on the French lyre trellising system.
Vintage
I would characterize the vintage as “classic“ in that the growing season was about as close to typical as is possible. There were substantial swings in temperature and rainfall during the summer, but in fact, this is normal for Virginia. A very dry August accelerated ripening. The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc is a mineral expression of the Avenius vineyard. Harvest was August 31 and September 11, 2006.
Winemaking
The goal of my winemaking with Sauvignon Blanc is to retain the fresh, wild, pungent character of the grape. The winemaking is very simple. The grapes are destemmed and lightly crushed and then the juice is allowed to settle overnight. VL3 yeast starts fermentation immediately. The wine ferments for about 30 days at 60F in a stainless steel tank. The wine is aged on its light lees in tank and bottled in the late winter. 250 cases produced (both 750 and 375ml bottles). This wine is intended to be consumed within 2 or 3 years.
Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2006 Vintage | 2006 Avenius Sauvignon Blanc