Thinking-Drinking
  • Blog
  • Erin
  • Index
  • Articles
  • News
  • Podcast
  • Contact

Linden "Claret" 2010 (Linden, Virginia)

8/8/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Winegrower Jim Law is one of the great producers in Virginia, growing grapes in the Blue Ridge Mountains since the early 1980s. Inspired by his experience teaching agriculture as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire, he did stints at several wineries before settling in at Linden about 30 years ago.

I've been drinking his wines for almost a decade now, and they are very special. Right about now his earliest plantings are coming into a beautiful maturity, and this-- combined with great winemaking-- translates to complexity in the glass. The newer plantings went in at much higher density; it will be exciting to see how this plays out in the glass. 

His Hardscrabble chardonnay is full of depth and richness and drinks like a white Burgundy; his Hardscrabble red is stunning when you have it at the right age-- a few months ago I opened up an '06 and it blew me away.

More recently, I had this 2010 Claret which blends fruit from three of his vineyards: Hardscrabble, Avenius, and Boisseau. 

Picture


The blend is:
46% Merlot
31% Cabernet Sauvignon
15% Petit Verdot
8% Cabernet Franc

2010 was an unusually great vintage in Virginia (especially for reds), lauded by every winemaker I've had a chance to meet with. 

Picture
This wine was rich and age worthy. I definitely opened this a bit too early. I pushed the rest of the bottles to the back of my cellar and I cannot wait to try this same wine 5 or 6 years from now. Still, the great winemaking was obvious and the way the blend came together was a lovely harmony. 

The single vineyard bottlings from Linden come in at almost twice the price as this Claret, and if the quality of this wine is any indication of what the single vineyard sites might be like, I cannot wait to be amazed by them. 

Something very special is happening at this Virginia winery! 

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    _

    Follow @ErinBScala
    Instagram

    Erin

    I’m Erin, and this is my wine blog. Here, you'll find information about wines from around the world, and Virginia.  


    Top Posts

    Elizabeth Bird
    Sommelier History
    Stars & Terroir
    Dry German Wine
    1962 NYC Wine List

      Want to subscribe?

    Submit

    Archives

    December 2021
    May 2021
    June 2018
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    January 2016
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011

    RSS Feed

    Picture