Journal | September 30, 2025
Toothsome, But Not Photogenic
Red harvest started yesterday. The clusters were not pristine. The grapes were a bit gnarly looking. The vines look somewhat bedraggled. The crop is small. But the flavors, ripeness and concentration are remarkable.
The weather over the last week has been less than ideal, but the grapes have persevered. Patience rewards, and now we are reaping the benefits. Looks like we have a beautiful weather week ahead of us. The game now is how long can the vines take advantage of ideal ripening conditions before we get backed into a potential corner of another weather event. This is not a unique set of circumstances for a winegrower. We walk the vines, evaluate the integrity of the berries and taste. Every sunny day helps. Rain hurts. A year’s worth of work is on the line.
Avenius and Hardscrabble Merlots are “in the barn”, as is Boisseau Petit Verdot. Later this week some very ripe Hardscrabble Cabernet Franc will be picked. Cabernet Sauvignon is the holdout. It will be ripe enough by the end of the week, but there is a big difference between ripe enough and stunningly ripe. We’ll hold until next week and gamble on more sunny days.
Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Hardscrabble Journal: September 30, 2025