Read MoreDuclaux La Germine Côte-Rôtie 2019
As the decades pass, Linden’s red wine style has become more confident in terroir interpretation. For years we held Bordeaux as our benchmark. We grow the same grape varieties and have similarities in climate. But now we have a clearer understanding of how our soils give signature to our wines. We’ve always tasted wines from all over the globe looking for direction and inspiration. And that inspiration is coming from new places.
Rodaro Malvasia 2020 Fruili Italy
At the end of the day in Linden’s tasting room we finish with a staff tasting of a mystery wine. Linden has a selection of wines from all over the world. At the end of the day a wine is chosen by a staff member. The bottle is bagged, hiding its identity. We taste, we discuss, we debate and then unveil.
Read MoreWeinbach Pinot Gris 2010
This wine was unexpectedly inspiring. During harvest our dining options are limited due to time and exhaustion. We had been making easy, simple dinners which rarely emphasize vegetables and freshness. The fridge was full of produce and we needed a healthy dinner. The wok was fired up and stir fry and lots of ginger went into the mix.
Read MoreMentor Wine: 2019 Midland Blaufränkisch
I humbly admit to a bit of smug skepticism before pulling the cork. A Shenandoah Blaufränkisch?
Read MoreLanghe Nebbiolo Produttori del Barbaresco | 2020
Elegance with structure. Youthful and harmonious. Refreshing and complex.
Read MoreSilvio Grasso Bricco Luciani Barolo 2008
An iron fist in a velvet glove. Restrained, but powerful. Great food wine. Only gets better with time in the glass.
Read MoreMentor Wine: Branaire-Ducru 2009
A number of years ago, Steven Spurrier of “Judgment of Paris” fame visited Linden. He was particularly impressed with our 2009 Hardscrabble Red, which reminded him of Branaire-Ducru, a classified growth estate in St. Julian, Bordeaux.
Read More2013 Peay Pinot Noir
Linden’s 2021 vintage has presented us with red grapes that are “red fruit” ripe, have subtle tannins and moderate potential alcohol. This points us in a direction to make more feminine, poised wines rather than a big, structured, tannic Bordeaux style.
Read MoreDomaine Roulot Bourgogne 2014
This wine is a confirmation of Linden’s path towards elegance, restraint, and harmony over power and obviousness. The Roulot is in a great drinking window with poise and seamlessness. Nothing stands out. It has textbook textural balance. Aromas and flavors are very Burgundian with a slight flint reduction on the nose and a zesty saline finish. It certainly does not taste like the New World definition of varietal “Chardonnay.“
Read MoreDidier Dageneau Buisson Renard 2018
Didier Dageneau took Sauvignon Blanc to a level of greatness. The variety suffers from commonness and obviousness. Wines made from this grape are often too varietal and too assertive. At Linden we have been trying to tone down its aggressive, “wild” character and bring out more terroir expression. This has not been easy.
Read MoreEichberg Riesling
It is impossible to make great wine if you don’t know what great wine tastes like. Harvest is only a bit more than a month away and we are now ramping up our palate-training regime. Knowledge is a winemaker’s important tool. When we taste a wine that inspires and teaches us, we call it a “mentor wine."
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