The dry summer of vintage 2023 gave us ripe, concentrated grapes. There was never any question that these would be powerful, mouth-filling wines. With a vintage like this making big bruiser wines is easy. Folding balance and finesse into that power is the hard part.
Read MoreMost of the 2023 red wines are now finished fermenting. This means that the yeasts have done their job and the wines are dry (no remaining sweetness).
Read MorePetit Verdot has finally been harvested and crushed. All red grapes are now fermenting in a very tight, crowded cellar. Of all the grapes we picked in 2023, the Petit Verdot remains the biggest unknown as to the style and quality of the wine.
Read MoreAll the grapes are in with the exception of the “Petits”. We’ll probably harvest Petit Verdot this Thursday, and Petit Manseng will hopefully go the distance for a late harvest in a month.
Read MoreThis past weekend’s rain didn’t do us any favors. This week’s dreary weather has left the grapes cold. Literally and figuratively.
Read MoreThis past week was a picking marathon. In advance of weekend rain we picked all the Merlot, most of Boisseau Vineyard, and all of the young vines at Hardscrabble. This past week’s picking strategy serves as a good primer on the relationship between grape maturity parameters and wine quality.
Read MoreSaturday 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.
Read MoreAvenius Vineyard Chardonnay was picked last week in the early morning hours during the heat wave. Harvesting in hot conditions is not desirable, but it was necessary.
Read MoreLast night we had two and a half inches of terrifying rain in a couple of hours. Terrifying because these severe storms included a small dose of hail.
Read MoreIn most circumstances some drought stress (also known as hydric stress) makes for big, concentrated red wines. This is what we are hoping for this year.
Read MoreHarvest and crush are underway at Linden. We’ve picked Boisseau Chardonnay and Viognier along with Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. The picking was easy as the clusters were pristine with no rot or bird damage. Crush was a breeze too. There was nothing really to sort out. The only down side was low juice yields as the grapes are not very juicy. Lots of pulp.
Read MoreToday is the first day of harvest. We start at daybreak picking Boisseau Chardonnay and Viognier. Both blocks are very small and the picking should only take about 4 hours. We will then head back to Hardscrabble to pick Semillon. Across the board these are the most beautiful, flawless, perfect looking clusters I have ever seen. Droughts do have some benefits: no disease issues.
Read MoreThe most important winemaking decision is when to pick. We walk the vines, taste the grapes, take samples for lab analysis, taste the juice sample, and watch the weather. But each vintage is unique and this critical decision isn’t always straightforward.
Read MoreNext week harvest will begin. It is an early start due to our continued drought-like conditions. … We are waiting for a predicted high-pressure system that will sweep through in mid-week. By the end of the week we should experience classic early fall weather: cool nights and low humidity.
Read MoreYesterday we sampled Avenius and Hardscrabble Sauvignon Blanc berries. In the lab, Shari extracted about 200mls of juice and ran analysis for sugar, pH, and TA (titratable acidity). Jim then did an aroma and palate evaluation. We are now tracking ripening. In many ways this is the start of crush 2023.
Read MoreVéraison is the vine development stage that signals the beginning of ripening. The berries start to sweeten up. You can taste varietal flavors. Most dramatically, there is also a color change. It is very evident in the reds, but the white fruited varieties also shift from deep green to yellow.
Read MoreHow do you know when you are in a drought? When a winegrower hopes for rain. It has been almost six weeks since our last significant rainfall. The hit and miss thunderstorms have consistently missed Linden.
Read MoreIt is dry, very dry. No appreciable rainfall for nearly a month. However, with a few exceptions the vines look great. Shoot growth is slowing and the canopy remains green and vibrant. Remember that grapevines originate from the Mediterranean where it rarely rains in the summer.
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