Veraison: The Beginning of Ripening
This week we saw the first berries turn color. This signals the beginning of ripening.
Read MoreWhat The Vines Tells Us
It has been many years since the vineyard has been this dry. The grass is browning, but the vines look good. Vines have deep roots and are still finding enough water in the subsoil.
Read MoreCluster thinning
It is very dry at Linden. Most of the vines are doing well given that their roots are deep and finding enough water in the subsoil. However some of the younger vines are starting to show signs of water stress. We’ve been weeding and mowing more frequently in order to reduce competition for moisture.
Read MoreLeaf-pulling Tools
For the past few weeks most of our days have been spent hand removing unwanted leaves and shoots in the cluster zone. Grapevines are trained so that all the clusters are uniformly in a line at the same level. At Linden this would be between 30” to 40” which correlates to tabletop to countertop height.
Read MoreGood Set
Grape flowering is over and it seems that we are looking at a potentially large crop. “Set” is the term we use for the percentage of grape flowers that are successfully pollinated and become developing berries.
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Canopy Work
We are now at the peak of canopy work in the vineyard. The task is repetitive in nature. One could make a comparison to a factory assembly line, but simply being outside negates that argument.
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Weeds or Native Cover Crops?
One very significant aspect of Hardscrabble Vineyard that has changed over the years is the vineyard floor. In the 1980s and 1990s we would keep the ground under the vines weed free. This allowed for good air flow. Additionally the lack of competition for water and nutrients resulted in very large, vigorous vines.
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Hot and Dry
It’s not been this dry this early since 2010. The soil is drying out quickly, especially with this heat and lower humidity. Thus far the impact has been positive. No disease pressure and slower growth of weeds and grass means that we can spend more of our time tending the vines.
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The Cicadas Aren’t Coming
Linden is in a different 17-year brood cycle. We last had them in 2013. 2030 is just around the corner.
Read MoreCool and Dry
May starts the busy season in the vines. However this has been an uncharacteristically relaxing week in the vineyard. Cool temperatures have slowed vine growth and a dry spell has kept grass and weed development at manageable levels.
Read MoreHail No
Yesterday evening we had hail. Hail is the the greatest fear of any winegrower. In five minutes it can turn a perfect season into a disaster. Hail is our unspeakable four-letter word.
Read MoreThe Shift
Very warm temperatures have accelerated and advanced the coming of spring. Day break now greets us with a soft, still quiet and a warm sun. The shift has happened.
Read MoreWelcome Spring
Our big season shift is about to begin. A cold, snowy February drove us to the cellar. A dry, mild March brings us back out to the vineyard.
Read More2020 wines: First Impressions
Writing about wines at this early stage may be premature, but we are getting a sense of the vintage, which correlates with our expectations as harvest unfolded.
Read MoreFinal Day of Crush 2020
Today we crush and press the Petit Manseng grapes we harvested yesterday. Their acidity remained stubbornly high this year, a reflection of a cool September and October, so we took advantage of the Indian summer days of last week. The warm days did take a bit of edge off of the bright acidity, but those grapes still remind me of the “Sweet Tart” candies I enjoyed as a kid.
Read MorePalate Based Winemaking
During crush and fermentation, winemaking decisions are made by tasting. Palate based analysis produces instant results. During a time when we have no time this works wonderfully. Winegrowers can do this successfully as we have been intimately tied to our vines for decades. Same grapes from the same vines at the same winery. Decisions are not so much intuitive as they are empirical.
Read MorePatience Rewards
All red wine grapes have now been harvested, sorted and crushed. They are now fermenting and being pumped over once a day.
Read MoreFinal Day for Red Harvest
Today we pick the last of the Hardscrabble Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. I forgot what it is like to pick on frosty mornings, waiting for the sun to rise and warm over the eastern ridge. These last days have been very satisfying as the clusters are in good shape with flavors resolved.
Read MoreHome Stretch
Boisseau and Avenius Vineyards are now all picked. Bare vines throughout. No more grapes. No more worries. Bittersweet best describes feeling when walking rows of naked vines. Exhaustion and exuberance.
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