Linden Update | September 9, 2025

Vintage 2025 | Week #1

Vintage 2025 began Monday, September 8. Last minute preparations took place before sunrise under a bright full moon. The air was fresh and cool. A good beginning.
 
Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc was first to ripen. The crop is intentionally light this year. At the end of last year the vines were weak. Two years of drought and last year's Spotted Lanternfly invasion had taken a toll. It was decided that 2025 would be a restorative year. A smaller crop would allow the vines to invigorate and get healthier. So this past winter the vines were pruned back aggressively in order to reduce the number of bunches per vine. However in early April, we had a hard freeze that reduced the potential crop more than we would have liked. A small crop results in faster ripening, as each vine can put all its energy into just a few clusters.  This also makes for very concentrated grapes (and wine!). 
 
After Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc we will wait for the Chardonnays and Avenius Sauvignon Blanc to fully ripen under ideal cool, sunny conditions. With an eye to the forecast, we patiently wait and take advantage of perfect ripening weather.

4-pack | Taste Like a Critic

Earlier this year Linden was featured in the New York Times. When writer Eric Asimov visited, we first showed him the vineyard and then sat down to taste. These critical tastings can seem awkward to the uninitiated. We sit reverently around a large table in the library. A good taster needs to concentrate. It is quiet except for the sound of spitting and the tapping of notes on a laptop. Questions and discussion follow.

Of course, we selected some of our best vintages to share with Eric Asimov. But we also wanted to share what we can do in a challenging year. We tasted the 2018 Village Chardonnay to show how Linden makes wines with personality in even the wettest vintage. We tasted one of our best vintages in recent memory, 2017 Hardscrabble Red; and a wine representing a classic vintage, 2020 Hardscrabble Chardonnay. We also wanted to demonstrate how our style has evolved recently with more restraint, so we shared the 2021 Hardscrabble Red. 

Now you can taste what the New York Times called "energetic, textured chardonnays and fresh, savory Bordeaux blends.”

$224 plus shipping ($15) and taxes. Tasting notes and recommended pairings included. 

Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: September 9, 2025

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