2022 Linden Vineyards Boisseau Viognier
STYLE
Linden’s Viognier is grown exclusively at Boisseau Vineyard which is warmer than our mountain sites. Viognier is at home with a bit of heat. Many Viogniers can be overly perfumed, with a candied tropical fruit salad flavor profile. This is not in the Linden wheelhouse. Over the years we have learned how to tone down Viognier’s strong fruity character and bring out terroir. The aroma is only lightly perfumed. The palate is rich and full, but not unctuous or heavy. A crunch of tannins to give length, but not bitterness.
FOOD PAIRINGS
We’ve always struggled with food pairings with Viognier until Richard Boisseau enthusiastically introduced she-crab soup. Richard spends a lot of time on the Chesapeake and is a crab aficionado. Any seafood bisque, chowder, or cream-based soup would be a suitable substitute.
VINEYARD
Boisseau Vineyard, Warren Co. is located on a bluff above Front Royal in the Shenandoah Valley at an elevation of 600 feet. The vineyard is west facing on light, deep, well drained loam soils. The vines were planted in 2000 and are trained on cordon/VSP trellising.
VINTAGE
The weather of vintage 2022 initially challenged winegrowers with climate change influenced inconsistency. However a key stretch of September sun and low humidity ultimately ripened some impressive grapes.
April bud break was early. Four inches of snow fell just before budbreak. Frost events on April 20 and then again on April 28 were just a degree or two warmer than would damage the tender shoots. “By the skin of our teeth” the crop survived. May was warm and wet encouraging rapid vine development. June flowering occurred under ideal conditions resulting in very large clusters. Frequent thunderstorms in mid-summer encouraged vine vigor and a large potential crop that would need to be judiciously thinned.
Hail in late July did minor damage to exposed clusters. Fortunately we had significantly reduced leaf pulling severity just for this reason: the leaves would act as umbrellas to shield the clusters from hailstones.
Veraison was late and in some cases uneven. We started to dry out in late August, but then on and off rains in early September delayed the beginning of harvest. Riesling was picked for the last time at Linden on September 18.
WINEMAKING
Chilled grapes were sorted, crushed and pressed. The juice was splashed and settled. Barrel fermented warm (70's F) in old, neutral French oak. No malolactic fermentation. Aged sur lie in barrel for 10 months. Bottled in August of 2023. 540 bottles produced. This wine will improve in the bottle for several years past vintage. Alcohol 13.5%.
Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2022 Vintage | 2022 Linden Vineyards Boisseau Viognier