Linden Update | March 12, 2026
It was 80 degrees at Linden on Wednesday and snowed today.
False Spring
A stretch of warm days followed by cold is not unusual for March. But the volatility we are now experiencing makes us nervous. The vine sap is running and the vines are weeping. This makes them more vulnerable to damage from a cold snap. Once the sap flows, very cold temperatures could freeze the vine's vascular system. This could permanently damage trunks and even kill the especially tender young vines. At this stage there is no way of knowing how cold is too cold, but next Tuesday and Wednesday mornings have us concerned. We should be OK, but in 2014 a March polar vortex drove temperatures down to the single digits. We lost half of our young vines. Those memories linger.
The April 2026 shipment will include 6 pre-releases: 2023 Avenius Red, 2023 Hardscrabble Red, 2023 Claret, 2021 Hardscrabble Chardonnay, 2024 Avenius Sauvignon Blanc, and 2024 Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc.
Winegrower's Selection: Preview
Enough doom and gloom. Maybe we need to look at the bright side of spring and turn to the new and exciting. This spring's 6 bottle Winegrower's Selection will be a special preview of vintages not previously released.
2021 Hardscrabble Chardonnay. I was attracted white Burgundies before knowing that these wines were made from the Chardonnay grape. There is something special about the texture and harmony of precisely grown Chardonnay. And only time in the bottle integrates its parts into the whole. We gave the 2021 some extra aging and this wine has rewarded our patience.
2024 Avenius & Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blancs. Both bottlings reflect their terroir, but the weight and concentration of this hot vintage makes them stablemates. Both fresh and powerful, these are wines to ponder.
2023 Reds: Claret, Avenius & Hardscrabble. This release is a bit early, but we couldn't wait any longer to show off the concentration and accessibility of an unusually dry and sunny, but cool vintage. We're going to have fun with these wines for many, many years.
If you are already a part of Winegrower's Selection - no need to do anything. Your wines will ship to you (or pick up if you have been in touch) around April 15.
If you would like to join the Winegrower's Selection and receive these six bottles, you can subscribe below. The cost for this installment is $284 (plus taxes and $15 shipping). When you subscribe, you receive six-bottle shipments twice a year of small-lot bottlings, unusual wines, and vintages of which we are particularly proud. We via UPS ship to Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Washington, DC.
Email us at wine@lindenvineyards.com if you have any questions.
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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: March 12, 2026