2022 Linden Vineyards - Hardscrabble Chardonnay Virginia (750ml)

Jim Law found his inspiration for winegrowing in white Burgundy, and in the 1980s Linden Vineyards set out to emulate it. After nearly 40 vintages, the winery has developed a style of its own rooted in its place on the Blue Ridge in Virginia. Aging remains central to its philosophy, since time brings harmony of texture and complexity of flavor.

Hardscrabble Chardonnay comes from the estate vineyard high on the Blue Ridge, at 1,300 to 1,400 feet on an east-to-south slope with deep, well-drained mineral soils that give acidity and structure. Many of the vines are old, planted in the 1980s and mostly Wente clone, alongside newer plantings. The 2022 season brought snow before budbreak and near-miss frosts, then sunny, dry September weather. In recent vintages, chilled grapes are sorted, pressed, and fermented warm in neutral French oak, then aged on the lees for 12 months in barrel and four more in tank.

Old vines give a nuanced, terroir-driven wine with aromas of wet rocks and oyster shell. The palate is broad, with real weight through the mid-palate, and the finish is framed by precise mineral acidity. Savory, textured, and built to evolve, it rewards patience.