Linden Update | April 9, 2026
Frost damage on the Chardonnay bud on the left with a live bud on the right.
A Hit
This has been an exciting start to the growing season. But boring and predictable would be preferable. 80°F days followed by sub-freezing has not been well received by growers or vines. Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc are both early budding varieties, which makes them more susceptible to frost damage. Yesterday morning some of these vines took a hit. At this writing it would seem that the damage is manageable. This means that on each vine some buds or shoots were killed, but there should be enough live buds remaining. With careful management the crop should be OK. We are not seeing any significant damage in our other later budding varieties.
I wrote just about the same thing last year, but in fact the damage was more extensive than expected. We'll know more in May when the shoots elongate and reveal their tiny flower clusters. And then there was the hard winter and Spotted Lanternfly damage from last fall. This is all uncharted territory. An average, typical, unremarkable growing season would be most welcome.
The April 2026 shipment includes: 2023 Hardscrabble Red, 2023 Avenius Red, 2023 Claret, 2021 Hardscrabble Chardonnay, 2024 Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc, and 2024 Avenius Sauvignon Blanc.
Last Call | Winegrower's Selection Pre-Releases
Enough doom and gloom. Maybe we need to look at the bright side of spring and turn to the new and exciting. These six wines will give you a first taste at what will be coming from Linden in the future. None of these wines have been previously released. 2023 and 2024 were sunny and dry and deliver impressive palate impact.
This week is your last chance to join the Winegrower's Selection for this allocation. See all the details by clicking below.
If you are already a part of Winegrower's Selection - no need to do anything. Your wines will ship to you next week (or be available for pick up starting today if you have been in touch). You may add on bottles to your shipment, including the pre-release wines. Send us an email to coordinate getting additional pre-release bottles - wine@lindenvineyards.com
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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: April 9, 2026