2022 Linden Vineyards Village Chardonnay
STYLE
The 2022 Village Chardonnay is arguably one of our favorite Village Chardonnay. The nose is clean, fresh, and pungent with lime zest and minerality. The palate has density and length. This wine boxes above its weight class.
FOOD PAIRINGS
This is a versatile food wine for all seasons. Green olives and a cheese board for al fresco summer evenings, monkfish or swordfish, or chimichurri with chicken breast could all work well.
VINEYARDS
Hardscrabble Vineyard (82%), Fauquier Co. on top of the Blue Ridge at 1,300 to 1,400 feet with an eastern to southern slope. Deep, well-drained mineral soils give acidity and good structure. Vines planted in 2016. VSP training system.
Boisseau Vineyard (18%) is located in Front Royal Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, about 5 miles west of Linden. The vineyard was planted in 2000. It is vertically shoot positioned. Dijon clones 96 and 76 are planted on a high bluff above the valley floor. Exposure is west. Soils are a deep clay/silt loam.
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 after Chardonnay had budded. 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. Harvest started with Sauvignon Blanc which required judicious sorting as rot had set in from early September rains. September then provided us with an impressive streak of cool, sunny breezy weather: a perfect ripening window. Chardonnay was picked on September 19, 21, and 26.
WINEMAKING
Chilled grapes were sorted, pressed, juice settled and then barrel fermented warm (70's F) in old, neutral French oak. No malolactic fermentation. Aged sur lie in barrel for 10 months. The 2022 Village Chardonnay is a blend of declassified Hardscrabble and Boisseau barrels. Bottled in August 2023. Alcohol 13.5%. 3,190 bottles produced.
Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2022 Vintage | 2022 Linden Vineyards Village Chardonnay