2023 Village Chardonnay
STYLE
This is a very different Village Chardonnay for Linden. The dry, cool 2023 growing season produced powerful, concentrated wines. This wine is juicy and supple with tropical fruit aromas and a ripe, creamy finish. It is a playful, exuberant wine that shows well young.
FOOD PAIRINGS
This vintage will pair with richer seafood dishes, especially crab and lobster.
VINEYARD
Hardscrabble Vineyard (100%), 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.
VINTAGE
The 2023 growing season was an easy vintage in terms of managing the vines and making harvest decisions.
Bud break was a week early (April 12 for Chardonnay). May brought the usual hot/cold temperature fluctuations, but the rain deficit had started. Flowering was average in timing, but very cool conditions contributed to some "hens and chicks" (incomplete fertilization of flowers resulting in many small berries).
It was the summer of smoke haze coming from Canadian fires. The smoke was too early in the season to affect the crop, but there were several days when working outside was too hazardous (smoke inhalation). The drought continued into July. The vines stopped their vegetative cycle. Berries were noticeably smaller than normal and young vines were showing hydric stress. Veraison was early and quick. Cane lignification was the earliest ever observed.
We picked the 2016 block of Hardscrabble Chardonnay on September 11 under cool, dry conditions. Clusters were perfect with no rot or damaged berries, making harvest and sorting easy. Yields were low due to small cluster size. Sugars were high, but acids remained fresh.
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 2023 Village Chardonnay is a blend of declassified Hardscrabble barrels. Bottled in August 2024. Alcohol 14.8%. 1289 bottles produced.
Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / 2023 Vintage | 2023 Village Chardonnay