Journal | September 18, 2023

From Whites to Reds

Saturday was our last day of white wine crush (with the important exception of Late Harvest Petit Manseng which is usually in November). The Chardonnay is more intense and concentrated than any other vintage I have experienced. Tomorrow we retool the crush equipment for reds and then Tuesday we dive right into Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

We are looking at some intense concentrated red grapes. Sugar levels are higher than we have ever recorded. The only question revolves around skin tannins. The tannin development is lagging behind sugar elevation and acid levels which are falling. This is the classic California problem. How long can one wait for tannin maturation while juice ripeness is approaching the overripe stage?

2023 remains a highly unusual vintage. If nothing else we’ll have a lot of fun with our future tastings when comparing and contrasting vintages.

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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Journal/Field Notes: September 18, 2023

Hardscrabble JournalJim Law2023, Follow the 2023 Harvest