2008

The 2008 growing season at Linden Vineyards was one of great challenges and windows of opportunities. As winegrowers, we had to often reflect on past experiences to pull off what has turned out to be a good year in terms of overall quality.

Winter was extremely mild and uneventful. Bud break was at typical timing in April. May was a very difficult month with cool, wet weather that brought concerns of disease and poor flowering (there was talk about another 2003, which was our most difficult vintage). Early June turned our spirits and hopes as beautiful warm, sunny days resulted in a very successful flowering and fruit set. Summer was wetter than normal, but each month progressively became hotter and drier. Most of August was a drought, putting a much needed halt to vine vegetative growth. Very late August through most of September alternated between 2 or 3 days of rain and 4 or 5 days of sunny, warm conditions. October was gloriously dry, sunny and warm.

In the vineyard, because of the wetter than normal conditions, canopy and cover crop management required much precision and labor. Leaf pulling severity was much more extreme than 2007. Cover crops were allowed to grow in order to compete with the vines and slow vegetative growth. While a dry August kept berry size relatively small, the rains of September caused some Botrytis rot in most of the white varieties and Merlot. Fortunately the rot was mostly of‘good quality’ (very little sour rot), but sorting was a major task in 2008. Natural acidities were quite high. White wines from 2008 will be very mineral driven (similar to 2006) with bright acidity, low to moderate alcohols, and botrytis influenced exotic aromas.

Red wine style and quality was variety, vine age and vineyard site specific. Early ripening varieties (Merlot) and sites took the biggest brunt of the September rains. Unfortunately I can taste the rain in these wines. They lack concentration. Later ripening grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Carmenere) benefited from the dry October and have intense concentration and very high alcohols. Some of this was a result from berry desiccation, which raises concerns of more dried fruit characters in the wines. Blending decisions will be critical in producing a balanced wine. At this writing it is too early to characterize 2008 red wine characteristics and quality.

2007

2007 was a very good year for whites and an outstanding year for reds.

The winter was uncommonly mild, leading to concerns of an early bud break with greater susceptibility of frost damage. Fortunately for us, March temperatures were well below normal, thus delaying bud break. We experienced temperatures well below freezing during the second week of April, but most buds were still relatively dormant and escaped damage. Spring, and in fact the entire growing season, was very dry, with slightly above average temperatures. There was enough rain to keep the vines healthy, however it became apparent the crop levels needed to be thinned down early as shoot growth was slow with short internode lengths. Most vineyard blocks ceased shoot tip development before veraison. It was at this point that we knew that 2007 was to be a potentially special vintage.

With the exception of powdery mildew, there was very little disease pressure. Fungicide sprays were greatly reduced. Insects, including Japanese beetles were of little concern. Because of their competitive nature, cover crops were more aggressively mowed as they competed with vines for water and nutrients. A two inch rain on in the third week of August was beneficially refreshing to most varieties with the exception of the early ripening Seyval, which did experience some sour rot. Harvest began with Seyval in late August, about 10 days earlier than normal. All the whites (except late harvest Vidal and Petit Manseng) were harvested under warm, dry conditions in September. Fruit condition and maturity was good, except for concerns about lower than normal acids. The resulting wines have good concentration and are more fruit driven than mineral based.

A three day cold snap in mid September led us to begin pulling more leaves in the reds in order to get more warm sun on the clusters, but October continued the trend of warm, dry conditions. There were some concerns about excessive sun exposure on the recently exposed clusters, but the sun was low enough in the sky to avoid sun burning. Red grapes were harvested during the first three weeks of October under near perfect conditions. Picking decisions were difficult in the sense that our hand was never forced by the threat of rain. As our West Coast colleagues see on a regular basis, sugar accumulation outpaced skin and seed tannin maturity. Most reds were ultimately harvested with very high sugars (25 to 26 brix), which makes us nervous about high alcohol in the wines. Yields were low, averaging 2 to 2.5 tons per acre, but quality was beyond anything I have seen in 28 harvests. Because of the small berries and thick skins, extraction during fermentation was gentle with light punch downs once or twice a day. Whites are big and fruit driven, probably showing best after just a few years of aging. Reds are showing well when young and should have a long life.

2006

2006 was a good year at Linden. I would have to characterize the vintage as “classic” in that the growing season was about as close to typical as is possible. There were substantial swings in temperature and rainfall during the summer, but in fact, this is normal for Virginia. The red grapes ripened fully with good balance. They were by no means overripe. They were “crunchy”, red fruit, ripe. Cabernet Sauvignon tannins were fairly supple, which is the best indicator of the quality of a vintage here. There was some dilution with late rains, which resulted in significant bleeding of the juice at crush. The white wines show the most minerality since 1999, and in fact there were some distinct similarities in these two vintages, although I believe that 2006 will outshine 1999 because of its concentration and sap. 2006 was probably closest to 1990 in terms of typicality.

Bud break was at a normal time with no frost except to our lower elevation Boisseau Vineyard where the Chardonnay did suffer some frost damage in April. Early spring was exceptionally dry. Own rooted Seyval and young vines had slow development. Temperatures were normal, as was flowering. Dry, low vigor conditions lead to a very large fruit set and a potential enormous crop, with the puzzling exception of Merlot which had cluster sizes less than half of normal. Late June gave us a deluge of rain, rejuvenating vine growth and worrying growers about disease. Leaf pulling around the clusters was done earlier and more meticulously as a result. Weaker vines, slowed by the dry spring were cluster thinned early and rigorously. July and August went back to being dry and hot. As a result, vines stopped their growth earlier than normal, which is what probably made the vintage for us. It confirmed to me the importance of vine balance and having the shoot tips cease growth at veraison. Green harvest took place for the reds in early to mid-August. Young vines had very large clusters. Even one cluster per shoot was too much. This required shoulder (wing) removal to balance yields. Veraison was fairly uniform with the exceptions of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, which required more meticulous thinning.

By late August we were in the unusual position of hoping for rain just before harvest, as young and swallow rooted vines were showing water stress. We got more than we had hoped for in the form of Ernesto and 4.5” of rainfall. Very fortunately, there was no berry splitting or rot, but there was some dilution.

I refer to September and October 2006 as the great obstacle course, with alternating sun and rain. The early whites (Seyval, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay) ripened slightly earlier than normal, because of the dry summer. It was a cooler fall than normal. This pushed back ripening of the reds, but because of more rigorous crop thinning, our harvest dates were normal. Crop levels seemed to have had a large impact on red wine quality in 2006.

Both Reds and Whites show great aging potential. The Chardonnays are similar in style to the 1999 vintage which is drinking wonderfully at 10 years old. The 2006 reds are very Bordeaux in acidity and structure which should make them candidates for long term aging.

2005

2005 was an outstanding year for whites and a good year for reds. The vintage started very slowly with a very cool spring, delaying bud break several weeks past normal. Immediately we were concerned about the ability of late ripening varieties to ripen fully given the compressed season. (Fortunately due to a hot August and severe crop thinning this did not come to pass.) May was very cool and dry, reducing phomopsis disease pressure, but also further delaying flowering. Bloom was in early to mid June, a full 7 to 10 days past normal and over 2 weeks later than 2004. Fortunately a warm, dry bloom period made for fairly even fruit set. The exceptions to this were some varieties that had uneven timing of flowering due to uneven bud break earlier in the spring. In many cases fruit set was too good, leading to large, compact clusters that would be more prone to bunch rots and over-cropping.

Early summer was slightly dry and slowly became progressively warmer. In early July, Cindy dropped 4" of rain. This was worrisome at first, but then it became clear that the soil moisture would be beneficial later due to a drier than normal July- September. However, the wetter soil did stimulate both canopy growth and berry development which in turn required aggressive canopy work (leaf pulling, hedging and lateral removal) along with severe cluster and cluster shoulder thinning.

A welcome hot August helped accelerate veraison and ripening, although we were still a few days behind normal as September approached.

Harvest began with Seyval and Sauvignon Blanc. Warm days and cool nights were the norm. All white grapes (harvested in September) had wonderful balance, good acidity and aromatics. Little or no sorting was required, even for Riesling which was a first! There was essentially no rain in September, which was wonderful for the earlier whites, but we were worried about drought stress in the later ripening reds. We were in that unusual situation where we were hoping for some rain during harvest to refresh the vines. We got more than we bargained for.

Tammy dropped 4.5 inc hes of rain in a 24 hour period in early October. We had picked all of the whites (except Late Harvest Vidal and Petit Manseng), but had only brought in less than 20% of the reds (young vines, Merlot, and Boisseau Vineyard from the valley floor). Picking stopped for 2 weeks as we waited for the soil, canopies and most importantly berries to dry out. Immediately after Tammy we had a very discouraging week of misty weather (NorEasterner) that did not add additional accumulation, but prevented things from drying out. We did have some berry splitting and botrytis (fortunately the only sour rot we had was on a Glen Manor Cabernet Franc block planted on heavier soils). Eventually we got some great low humidity, sun, and drying winds in mid October. Harvest continued with the reds until November 1. The reds were ripe with excellent tannins, but they lost concentration from Tammy. Pre-Tammy harvested reds are blockbusters, with Napa-like concentration and structure. Post-Tammy red wine quality is variety dependent. Most of the Merlot was harvested pre-Tammy. I only wish we had more of it planted. Cabernet Franc did not fare well, as it was the closest to harvest. They are pleasant, simple wines for early consumption. Petit Verdot preformed wonderfully through the rain and still came in with high sugars and good concentration. It will be an important part of all blends, adding flesh and mid-palate body. Cabernet Sauvignon had some of the ripest, most supple tannins I have tasted. It did, however, lack concentration. These are medium term aging wines which should drink well until at least 2012.

2004

2004 can best be categorized as a roller coaster vintage. The year started with pruning and the realization that the difficult 2003 vintage had resulted in weak vines that became damaged from an otherwise mild winter. In 2003 most of our late ripening varieties were harvested in November. The vines did not have any time between harvest and frost to accumulate carbohydrate reserves for the winter and spring. Vines that suffered the most were older, later ripening vines, on heavy, vigorous soils. The growing season was quite good, with a very early flowering due to a hot May, below normal summer temperatures, and slightly higher than normal rainfall. Unlike 2003, the rains were not constant drizzle, but the occasional soaking rain with lots of sunshine in between. Mid August through early September was a beautiful window of perfect ripening weather. Low crop levels combined with an early flowering resulted in a very early start of the harvest under ideal conditions.

White wines: Early ripening varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc, Seyval and some young vine Chardonnay will be arguably the best wines of 2004. An unfortunate series of hurricanes marred the September mid harvest. We were somewhat relieved that we were spared from most of the rains generated from Bonnie, Ivan and Charlie, but Jeanne was a direct hit. Chardonnay, Riesling, and Vidal were plagued with rot and dilution. Meticulous sorting saved the wines in terms of quality but resulted in miniscule quantities.

Red wines: Late September through mid October gave us beautiful sunny, dry weather. The reds were able to take advantage of this. There was much fruit desiccation because of splitting and Botrytis from the hurricanes, but this seemed only to concentrate in a good way, as there was no sour rot or off flavors. These will be medium term aging wines. The vintage reminds me of 1999, which produced wines with silky tannins, generous fruit and medium body. Drink from 2007 to 2010.

2003

A very difficult growing season. We suffered through cold, rain, lightning strikes, light hail, poor fruit set, windstorms and a hurricane. Production was 40% of normal. However, these are wines that we are very proud of and are a reflection of over 20 years experience in winegrowing in Virginia.

The whites are very pretty with great minerality and focus. They are not heavyweights, but wines that give great pleasure, especially with a meal. I decided not to make any Seyval in 2003 due to the poor quality of the grapes. This vintage is for early drinking. The reds are medium bodied with high acidity and chewy tannins. The best wines are a few lots of Amarone style Petit Verdots (Bittersweet). Drink the Claret now to 2010. The Bittersweet will age well for another decade.

2002

A hot, very dry summer that ended in early October with persistent rains. The whites were harvested under ideal conditions, much like the 2001 vintage. Most of the reds were ripe, but diluted from the late rains.

The white varieties fared best with wonderful mineral, fresh aromas and focused acidity. These wines will age gracefully, especially the Chardonnays and Late Harvest.

The Merlot was the star of the red harvest with great ripeness and suppleness. The later red varieties were subjected to cool rains through October. Although they achieved ripe tannins, which gives the wines a very supple texture, there is a lack of depth and concentration with the exception of some lots of merlot and petit verdot. Drink now through 2009.

2001

An almost textbook perfect growing season. Dry, with the occasional needed shower, lots of sun, cooler than normal. Harvest was long and leisurely giving us the ability to pick meticulously each block, sometimes over a 10-day period. A rare vintage where all grape varieties were harvested with good typicity, balance and concentration.

The whites have good depth and weight, especially the Chardonnays. Good candidates for cellaring, especially the Late Harvest and single vineyard designated wines. The reds have good precision, balance and complexity. It was the first year since 1997 that we have bottled a reserve. These wines are to age. We have been releasing them later than normal and suggest further cellaring. Drink 2005 to 2013.

2000

A cool wet year that was saved by a warm, sunny spell beginning in mid-September. Growing conditions during the summer were difficult due to persistent cool, cloudy weather. Although measured precipitation was only slightly higher than normal; the rains were light and constant as opposed to the more typical summer” thunderstorms. Early white varieties such as Seyval and Sauvignon Blanc suffered the most, but Chardonnay and Vidal along with the reds fared much better.

The whites generally lack the typical Linden minerality and precision. Two exceptions would be the Hardscabble Chardonnay and the Late Harvest (Vidal), both of which benefited from some desirable botrytis influence. Drink soon.

The reds lack concentration, but have good balance. The Glen Manor and Hardscrabble consist of approximately 50% petit verdot, which gives them structure, acidity and longevity. Drink the Red 2000 soon. The Glen Manor and Hardscrabble will age nicely for several years, up to 2010.

1999

A year of contrasts. The drought of 1998 continued. August gave us uncommonly hot days and no rain. Harvest began early with high sugars and low acids. Then the rains came. September was one of the wettest in memory. The Riesling was particularly hard hit by rot. The reds were real troopers. Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon held in suspended animation while the Cabernet Franc developed botrytis in a way I have never seen before. The Cabernet Franc developed wonderfully sweet, spicy flavors and was ultimately bottled on its own. The other reds held tight until the rains stopped in October and were picked with modest concentration, but wonderfully ripe tannins.

Whites are nicely balanced with good mineral acidity (no malolactic fermentations). The Chardonnays are aging particularly well and are taking on good Burgundian characteristics.

The reds are very supple and elegant with great finesse. These are hedonistic wines that are pleasing when young. They will be good for mid-term aging, but may not last as long as the 1997 and 1998 vintages. Drink now to 2009.

1998

A drought (California) year. Hot and dry from beginning to end. Early bud break, flowering and harvest. Hardscrabble and Avenius Vineyards yields were reduced to about one ton per acre (15 hl/h) due to a devastating June 15 hailstorm. Glen Manor was unscathed. Sugar levels were freakishly high and acids were very low.

Whites are big and somewhat flabby and are beginning to tire without their typical fresh minerality.

Reds are fleshy, and dark with great depth, but the tannins are slightly drying making the vintage more rustic than its 1997 or 1999 counterparts. 1998 requires several years bottle aging to soften up and integrate. Drink 2005 to 2011.

1997

A wet spring became a wonderfully cool summer, dry and sunny with just enough rain to keep the vines healthy. September and October were also dry and cool giving near perfect ripening conditions for both whites and reds. Harvest was one week later than normal. Yields were in the normal range. A classic vintage.

Whites have good precision and minerality with a fair amount of depth and outstanding aging potential.

Reds have moderate weight and acidity with supple tannins and are aging very well. Drink 2004 to 2011