Pollux Membership November 2022: Yes, Virginia, there ARE Fine Wines
A perfect late morning atop the ridgeline of Hodder Hill Vineyard, Glen Manor Vineyards, Front Royal, VA.
“Yes, Virginia, there ARE Fine Wines”
Linden Vineyards “Hardscrabble” Chardonnay, Linden, Virginia 2019
Glen Manor Vineyards “Hodder Hill” Red Blend, Front Royal, Virginia 2014
Despite some truly headscratching features (including little lights under the sideview mirrors that NEVER turn off when you have the doors unlocked, thereby draining the car’s battery and leaving me in the lurch on more than one occasion when I was loading/unloading from a summer vacation), my car is good at one thing: straight ahead speed. And being born with a leaden right foot (I tell my wife: check the X-Rays, it’s there), I love to utilize that aspect of the vehicle, particularly on roads like this section of Virginia’s I-66, past the sprawl of Manassas, where the speed limits and the topography rise to meet my sense of anticipation. Winding my way through rolling, still-lush autumnal hills speckled with farms, with the mountainous slopes of the Blue Ridge growing ever larger on the horizon, I am struck by an overwhelming sense of…what, exactly? My mind rolls that question around like a set of meditation chimes: is it the profound calm brought on by this bucolic scenery? The weighty feeling of history and heritage that seems so evident in every structure I pass? Perhaps the true answer is my realization that, for all of the difficulties that stymied winemaking ambition in Virginia for nearly two centuries, here in 2022, we truly live in a fine wine producing region. My two stops on this particular day’s journey, Glen Manor Vineyards and Linden Vineyards, are producers that I have known in one way or another since 2008 and 2010, respectively, and having had the chance to feature and revisit their wines recently in the form of both work and trade events, I just had to get out and speak to owner/winemakers Jeff White and Jim Law, two men who are immeasurably assisting us with the permanent removal of the caveat “good…for a Virginia wine” from our lexicon of faintly damning praise. What follows is a day’s journey in the vineyards and cellar with two of the Commonwealth’s foremost wine professionals, now scions of a burgeoning industry that counts over 300 wineries to its name.
Looking at the north side of Hodder Hill vineyard with Glen Manor owner/winemaker Jeff White-this section is ready to be planted with Riesling, a new endeavor that is a passion project of his niece, Ashleigh, who has joined the family’s efforts at their now 120 plus-year old property.
“Wait…yep! There she is. Her mom is around somewhere, too.” Glen Manor owner and winemaker Jeffrey Raymond White is pointing between autumn-tinged rows of vines, as we make out the speckled fur of a fawn in search of a late-morning vinous snack. The 5th generation owner of this 121-acre estate in the shadow of Shenandoah National Park, just a short drive down Browntown Road from Front Royal, VA’s historic center, White has already pointed out some coyote droppings, further evidence of nature’s claim to this rocky, granite-based hillside, as we rapidly ascend the nearly 500 meters from his winery to the top of the vineyard that brought me here, Hodder Hill. Jeff smiles as I recount my visits to the Priorat region of Spain, where a winegrower’s day can be cut short by the snorts of wild boar. We agree that at least on this near-perfect, cloudless day, that these vineyard guests are slightly more manageable.
The Hodder Hill vineyard rises to 1,400 feet in elevation before tapering off; the peak behind the vineyard is part of Shenandoah National Park, which Glen Manor’s 121-acre property backs up to.
The “Glen” of Glen Manor lives up to its billing-a spectacular valley rimmed by mountains on all sides but the north, which is coincidentally the only direction that the valley’s sole water source can leave, flowing alongside Browntown Road below the winery and meandering around a peak. This “one way out” path taken by the stream, coupled with the propensity for the surrounding hills to trap moisture, makes my visit even more serendipitous-Jeff tells me that many days all of the scenery I’m photographing below is buried in a quagmire of fog. Site selection in any wine region is key, but here in Virginia, Jeff says that it is paramount to the success of grapegrowing, and Hodder Hill’s location, perched above both the winery and the property’s original vineyards that were planted in the mid 1990s, is instantly recognizable as special: a steep outcropping of rows mostly planted on an east-west axis that sits above both fog and (most years) frost, truly significant in a region subject to the vagaries of heat, viral disease, and extreme vintage variation (a fact noted by both Jeff and during my visit to Jim Law’s Linden Vineyards later in the day). When I ask why Virginia took a little bit of time to become more quality-driven in its approach, beyond the simple answer of trial and error, Jeff explains that in Virginia’s nascent days of wine production, the readily available sources of information and advice were to the West in California, when in fact Virginia’s winegrowers should have been looking east across the Atlantic to Europe, where the challenges of continental climate and resulting varied expressions of their wines brought on by the particular vintage’s conditions are dealt with constantly. This shift in inspiration, combined with more selective choice of vineyard sites (Jeff’s vineyards were a recent host to a Virginia Tech and Virginia Wineries Association joint seminar touting the virtues of steeply sloped plantings) are in Jeff’s mind what has brought many wines in the Commonwealth up to a new standard.
Rows of Nebbiolo vines featuring two different clones, an exciting addition to the winery’s plantings that is currently featured in their rose but from which Jeff hopes to derive a varietal red wine soon.
As we tour Hodder Hill’s different sections, tasting vibrant Petit Manseng fruit that is still hanging on the vine here in early November (and which will go into a late-harvest offering Glen Manor makes called Rapheus) we stop briefly at the north edge of the hill, where new plots of Nebbiolo and Riesling are part of Jeff’s vision for the growth of his family’s farm. I’m struck by the winemaker’s sense of practicality and also his good nature: when discussing organic viticulture, Jeff is pretty adamant that organic treatments are fairly impossible with the pitfalls the Shenandoah faces in terms of weather and pests, but he also surprises me with his analysis that he would have had to do 3 times as many pass-throughs and treatments of his vines with organic sprays, and that combination of extra carbon emissions and soil/terroir disruption counts for something, as well. Jeff also notes that he doesn’t treat his vineyards for a minimum of 30 days prior to harvest, and testing done by Virginia Tech has shown his picked grapes bear no trace of those treatments, whereas if he had used a spray based on organic material such as copper, those elements remain in the ground forever. When we speak about getting together with other winemakers and if the relationships remain collegial as more wineries and quality bottlings emerge from Virginia, White’s enthusiasm for discussing wine is evident: at get-togethers of fellow winemakers, they will occasionally showcase wines that they are especially proud of, but more often the group of friends will bring “problem” wines for evaluation and advice; Jeff’s natural affability shows as he recounts his philosophy that every wine will bring something positive to the taster, and the continual evolution of Virginia wine depends on fellow colleagues being honest but measured in their feedback to one another. Recounting my impressions to him of the 2014 vintage of his flagship Hodder Hill red I’ve purchased, I’m certain Jeff’s friends’ critiques must be the definition of splitting hairs. A Bordeaux-style blend that, particularly from the cool vintage in question, is brimming with balance, complexity, and bears remarkable resemblance to similarly-styled wines from both the Medoc and Tuscany, Glen Manor’s Hodder Hill is the yin to the yang of some of the new-school, heavily extracted reds coming out of the state, and for me is much more a hallmark of the terroir than any voodoolike manipulations in the cellar. Standing on the steep, deep, craggy ground that marks the precipice of Hodder Hill’s front slope, with Glen Manor’s namesake valley stretching out below, I am more convinced than ever that fine wine is a reality here, and that it’s not just in the glass where you can confirm this; on top of Hodder Hill, I’d swear you could feel it-D.
Glen Manor Vineyards “Hodder Hill” Red Blend, Front Royal, Virginia 2014
Country of Origin: United States.
Places and People: The farm that is now Glen Manor Vineyards was included in a vast land grant to Lord Fairfax in 1787 and has been owned by winemaker Jeff White’s family since 1901. Hodder Hill Vineyard is unmistakable from the winery below-a steep crag of rock that stretches above Jeff’s original vineyard site, planted in 1995 while Jeff was working for Linden Vineyards. Upon leaving Jim Law and Linden, Jeff established and expanded the area now known as Hodder Hill (named for Raymond Hodder Rudacille, part of the 2nd generation of Jeff’s family that occupied the farm). The Hodder Hill Vineyard is planted to Bordeaux varietal reds, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng, and newer plots of Nebbiolo and (soon to be) Riesling at altitudes between 1,100 and 1,400 feet.
Soil: Granitic outcroppings that run very deep along this steep hillside terroir-the Hodder Hill vineyard is extremely rocky and the subsoils include older pieces of granite (visible in the north section of the vineyard on the downslope) that will crack in your hands.
Grape Varieties: 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and 15% Petit Verdot.
Winemaking: Hand-harvested and chilled in cooler overnight, the grapes for the Hodder Hill 2014 were triple sorted (once in the vineyard, and then pre-and-post destemming on the crush table). A cold soak of 4 days was followed by a 7-10 fermentation with twice a day cap punchdowns. Malolactic fermentation began in the same bins as primary and Jeff allowed an additional 2-3 weeks of maceration time before pressing, after which the wine was racked into French oak barrels for the completion of malolactic.
Aging: After a five month period of rest in the barrels, assemblage of the blend was performed and the wine was then bottled, unfiltered and unfined, a little over a year later in July 2016.
Flavors and Foods: A ruddy garnet color that holds well for its age, the Hodder Hill shows some evidence of its oak aging program on the nose, but it’s important to note that this is no more than a fine Bordeaux or Super-Tuscan would reveal at this stage of its life. Flowers and potpourri commingle with scents of black and red fruits, black tea, cassis, fresh figs, forest floor, eucalyptus, and an uplifting note of pomegranate-in short, the nose of the Hodder Hill is complex! Tasting the Hodder Hill reveals plenty of still-primary fruit, with the fruits being more red-driven on the palate than the nose. The forest floor/herbal element remains, but in a departure from many Virginia red wines, these elements are enjoyed as aromatic, even alpine, rather than underripe, pyrazine flavors. Secondary savory notes come in droves: beef bresaola, graphite/granitic elements reminiscent of old-school Graves Bordeaux, a woodfired oven taste of cherry or white oak, roasted chestnuts (think NYC streetcarts), all winding down to a very balanced finish, with the alcohol superbly in check. The baking spice and cedar of oak aging are again present, but in no way problematic. The 2014 Hodder Hill is most impressive in its overall mouthfeel and weight; unlike some Virginia red wines that are ambitiously pushed past their comfort zone, this wine is mellow, and content to be what it is-if you like terroir-driven Bordeaux earthier, classically styled Super-Tuscans, or even have experience with older versions of Napa Valley reds, you will have a festive treat on your hands with the Hodder Hill. The mellow, smooth-texture of the wine lends itself to more regal, composed food pairings-skip the rustic treatement here and go for a Daube of slow-roasted beef in the Dutch oven with potato gratin, tenderloin-derived steak cuts like filet mignon and chateaubriand served with roasted shitake mushrooms and thyme, or slow-cooked beef short ribs and scratch-made polenta.
Service and Cellar: Two Service Notes, to start: the foils on this wine are razor-sharp, so a good foil cutter or some handy corskscrew knife skills are a must to avoid pesky finger cuts. Also, the Hodder Hill 2014, being an unfiltered wine with some age to it, will throw some sediment, and a decanting is highly recommended. Once opened, the 2014 Hodder Hill is best enjoyed within 90 minutes-2 hours, after which the wine’s oak notes become a bit more pronounced as the fruit fades. Longevity on this wine is a curious question: do the nicely integrated oak notes portend a few additional years of cellaring is possible? I think so, and Jeff tells me he believes the coolness of the 2014 vintage gives this Hodder Hill two-decade potential; for my palate, I would enjoy the Hodder Hill 2014 between now and its 15-year anniversary in 2029.
Overlooking the younger vines of Hardscrabble Chardonnay from the “barn” of Linden Vineyards, Linden, VA.
Linden Vineyards “Hardscrabble” Chardonnay, Linden, Virginia 2019
If only I had a GWC helicopter: Glen Manor and Linden are actually not that far apart from each other, but there’s a pesky mountaintop (part of Shenandoah National Park) in the way of a more direct route. My GPS is non-existent leaving Glen Manor’s elevated driveway, so I don’t know if there is a back way in (Jim Law later tells me no, there isn’t), but regardless after a brief spell on John Marshall Highway, I make a right onto Fiery Run Road, past a picturesque stretch of small farms (one of which has a striking vineyard plot at the top of a ridgeline, Linden’s winemaker Jonathan Weber later tells me its planted to Petit Verdot and the farmer sells it to nearby Delaplane Cellars) and head towards Linden Vineyards. Founded by Jim Law and his family in 1983, the apple orchard-turned winery makes an annual production of just 4,000 cases spread across all of its different cuvees; the fruit is sourced from three vineyard sites, two of which are nearby family plots owned by longtime friends who also hold positions at Linden. But the plot in particular that I have always wanted to see is the easiest to find, rimming the winery itself just to the left of my parked car. For this idyllic little hillside crop produces what is in my opinion the finest white wine in all of Virginia: The Hardscrabble vineyard, and its eponymous bottling of Chardonnay.
The Old Guard-original Chardonnay vines of Linden Vineyards’ Hardscrabble plot, planted by Jim Law in 1985. The vines are still producing structured fruit with phenomenal texture, but Law notes that the vines require much more care at this point and the yields are steadily reducing.
The Chardonnay grape grows easily almost everywhere wine is planted around the globe, and yet the number of places where it grows well and can be made into a world-class offering are stunningly small. Here in Virginia, the presence of indigenous molds and fungus taken together with the climactic hurdles (the heat and humidity of summer, a relatively short growing season where cold winters lead to late-arriving budbreak on the vines) would give one pause as to whether this state could produce Chardonnay to rival other famous regions. A winemaker would have to combat the humid air and pest trappings with higher elevation, and the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains do this with aplomb-in fact, as I remark to Linden owner Jim Law, seemingly all of the Virginia wineries that I most respect, from those in the shadow of Charlottesville to here in the Piedmont to producers in Loudoun County, possess vineyard holdings that surpass 1,000 feet above sea level. The Hardscrabble Vineyard (a name given to this plot of land long before Jim arrived, it refers to its poor soils that made it hard to work, an irony that has in turn been excellent for viticulture) sits at elevations of 1,300 to 1,400 feet, with a primarily eastern facing aspect that ensures morning sun but not the full force of afternoon heat. I’m struck by the panorama of this vineyard in autumn, a pastiche of pristine vines and leaves the brightest of yellows that, with the pure blue of the afternoon sky, look like they were absconded straight from a Matisse painting. Now with almost 20 acres under vine, the Hardscrabble is planted to both red and white grapes, with the white wines enjoying the greenstone silt and clay sections of the foothill in two distinct sections: the original 1985 plantings above, and a second plot below that features vines around 12 years of age and some toddler vines of around 6 years old that produce juicy, vibrant Chardonnay, wine that for Jim Law just doesn’t have the acidity and tension worthy of being included in Hardscrabble-yet. Later in the cellar when we taste the younger wine out of barrel, Law remarks that perhaps 2022 will be the year to graduate some of this fruit to his flagship white. Some of the Chardonnay vines were among the first planted in the vineyard and now approach 40 years of age, and the combination of steely acidity coupled with first-rate tropically themed fruit the grapes bring forth (particularly in the 2019 vintage, which possesses a richness borne of the generous growing season that summer) is astounding. These older Chardonnay vines also ensure that total production level of the Hardscrabble is low overall; the 2019 vintage that Pollux members will enjoy topped out at less than 300 cases. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation (secondary fermentation converting malic acid to the creamier-textured lactic acid), a fortuitous occurrence that I had always thought was a conscious choice, but which Law informs me is just a product of his cellar conditions rather than any temperature control. This lack of overt creaminess keeps the palate vibrant and fresh without a trace of fatigue.
Touring Hardscrabble’s Chardonnay plots with Jim Law.
Pouring the 2019 Hardscrabble at an event recently, I was pleased (though not surprised) by how many guests raved about it, particularly those with palates that could be described as “Old World”. Speaking with Jim Law and his longtime colleague Jonathan Weber (Jonathan started at Linden in 2010 as an apprentice and has never left, rising to cellar master before being named winemaker in 2016), it is apparent that their philosophy of being in the vineyards more than the cellar continues to pay off, decades on. Jim opines, rightly in my opinion, that if you’re truly spending the time in your vineyards the way a good grower should, you literally don’t have time to “play in the cellar” and manipulate what nature has offered up in any given year. This makes the development of a house style more arduous, but is a truer reflection of a winegrower’s time communing with the land which, he readily acknowledges, is where Law wants to place his energies as his journey at Linden nears its semicentennial.
The just-fermented samples of Chardonnay dazzle even now with their combination of acidity and textural complexity; my favorite two samplings are the 12 year old vines (the fruit of which I mention bears a striking resemblance to the 2019 I have purchased; Jim confirms that in that vintage, these vines were the dominant force in the blend), and the juice Jonathan pulls us from a concrete “egg” (concrete aging vessel so shaped to ensure the juice and lees are constantly in motion). Jim says that he hates the egg from a convenience standpoint due to its difficulty to work inside of and the buildup of tartrate crystals, which glitter like wine diamonds inside the vessel. Tasting the Chardonnay from the egg, however, Jim is pleased with the wine, as am I. Jonathan asks if we perceive any residual sugar left over from the fermentation, but for both Jim and I it has none, and to my palate is dead-on in its expression of the grilled pineapple, melon-driven lusciousness of great Chardonnay.
Tasting these latest barrels and grapes off the vine, in the shadow of the Blue Ridge and Skyline Drive, you can almost feel the seismic shift happening in Virginia wine culture, and as winemakers like Jim Law and Jeff White begin to be viewed as elder statespersons/mentors for the possibilities of wine production here, it’s clear to me that the small steps I encountered when I arrived in Washington, DC in 2008 have become giant leaps.
It’s further clear to me that I need to make more drives like the one I’m making today, viewing this hourlong drive from my office the way Napa is viewed by San Franciscans-a very necessary exercise in escapism, with an uplifting sense of renewal upon one’s return. Hammering away at my laptop so as not to forget the day’s conversations, with Thanksgiving still three weeks away, I am already grateful-D.
Linden Vineyards “Hardscrabble” Chardonnay, Linden, Virginia 2019
Country of Origin: United States.
Places and People: Jim Law founded Linden Vineyards in 1983 and planted his first vines of Chardonnay on the patch of land already known as Hardscrabble in 1985. Located a few minutes from Front Royal and Shenandoah National Park/Skyline Drive, Linden has over the course of nearly four decades become synonymous with Virginia wine excellence, and Jim has ascended to his current place of elder statesman among the Commonwealth’s winegrowers. The Hardscrabble vineyard is located adjacent to the winery itself and the Chardonnay plots are divided into two sections-the original 1985 plantings and two sections of younger vines.
Soil: Clay and greenstone silt.
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay.
Winemaking: Jim Law is quick to admit that 2019 was a different style of Hardscrabble Chardonnay. A warm vintage culminated in a sustained period of high temperatures from July through harvest time, and the nights did not cool down to compensate, prompting Law to pick some grapes earlier than normal in order to ensure his trademark acidity and mineral notes still came through. Barrel-fermented at warm temperatures in a mixed of new and used French oak barrels (mostly used, roughly 80%, in smaller barrels than the new). Malolactic fermentation does not occur, keeping even a rich vintage like 2019 fresh and vibrant.
Aging: The wines remained in their fermenting barrels for 11 months, and then they were moved back into tank for 5 months to achieve the earth-driven style that Jim Law and winemaker Jonathan Weber strive for.
Flavors and Foods: Outstanding Chardonnay. The 2019 may be a departure in style for Linden as this Hardscrabble is bigger than other vintages, but even still the overtly diacetyl-driven butter notes and confectionary fruit of other New World Chard are nowhere to be found. Juicy grilled pineapple, honeydew, and yellow apple propel the attack of the wine, after which welcome secondary notes of flinty earth and chive blossom arrive. The texture of the wine is richly adorned with hints of cardamom and nutmeg, along with vanilla bean and buttered pecan. All of these elements, it should be noted, come in the background, and the Linden 2019 resembles much more an ornately styled white Burgundy (think Meursault or Corton Blanc) than the amped-up Chardonnays from the West Coast. The medium-low alcohol of 12.6% keeps the wine in balance and will ensure its longevity. Pair the 2019 Hardscrabble with unctuous seafood and keep the citrus to a minimum; lobster with drawn butter is my “how dare he suggest something so simple” suggestion-keep the complexities to the wine here. Dover sole or halibut would make fantastic alternatives. You could also enjoy the Hardscrabble with chicken dishes served with cream sauce, richer raw bar offerings (king crab legs), or the similarly rich yet acidic Delice de Bourgogne cheese.
Service and Cellar: The Hardscrabble 2019 is hard to beat served around 48-50 F, enough chill to keep the rich texture in check but not mute the beautiful secondary baking spice character. Given the size and weight of the 2019, a decanting would be ideal to let this wine unfold a bit. Linden Vineyards’ wines are well known for their ability to age to great lengths, and although the 2019 Hardscrabble was produced in a warmer year, the acidity and balance are still more than sufficient for this wine to drink well over the next 7-10 years.