1998 Linden Chardonnay Hardscrabble

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 91 points

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  8/22/2009 - manonthemoon wrote: 91 Points

  Linden Vintage Dinner 2009; 8/1/2009-8/30/2009 (Marriott Ranch): Notes from Linden Library dinner. On the nose a little funky yeast, minerality, and a hint of petrol. On the palate there was lemon, yeast, grapefruit, nice acidity, and a little hazelnut. This had a nice long finish and really nice balance, my WOTN. 1

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  8/22/2009 - FPNova wrote:

  First ever Linden Vineyard library wine vertical tasting: The 1998 Hardscrabble Chardonnay reflects substantial learning from the early 1997 experiment. It was Linden’s first Hardscrabble vineyard designate Chardonnay and they continue to produce it to this day. No new oak was used in this vintage. 1998 was a hot, dry, difficult year marked by a hail storm on June 15 that destroyed nearly 70% of the crop. The yield was only 1 ton per acre compared to Jim’s normal target yield of about 3 tons per acre. But while the yields were low, the concentration was exceptional. The wine is a light golden yellow color with an earthy hazelnut and apricot aroma characteristic of the lees in the barrel. The taste is dominated by apricot with a sappy, mouth filling, and concentrated, crisp freshness from acidity in perfect balance with the fruit; reminiscent of a wonderful reduction. The concentrated freshness of this wine will continue for many years to come. Who would have imagined an 11 year old Chardonnay with perhaps another decade to continue improving in the style of a fine white Burgundy …. from northern Virginia!

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  7/27/2008 - timewithwine wrote:

  After pulling off the blinders, we decided we to lighten the evening with some food and less formal discussion, and perhaps see how badly some Virginia Chardonnays from the ‘98 vintage might have oxidized. We tasted each of the Chards with eyes, if not mouths, wide open. To describe most of us as skeptical would not begin to scratch our sentiment. But after the first sip, we took a second look in amazement.
  
  
  Undoubtedly and easily, the surprise wine of the night. People kept picking up the bottle to look and see if it really listed itself as a ‘98. It did. And it was delectable. An excellent wine with crisp acidity, yet great length and great depth. An attack of apple, butter, butterscotch and an etching of hazelnut. The finish is long and clean with acidity that strips out the butterscotch. This tastes much like an aged Grand Cru Chablis or lighter Puligny Montrechet.
  See article for Gang of Pour.

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