Linden Update | August 14, 2024
These Chardonnay berries are swollen with water, but fortunately no skin bursting or splitting.
Whiplash
They said that our climate would change. They said it would get hot. They said that we would experience periods of drought along with bouts of excessive rain. 2024 is our year of climate change. This summer has been the driest yet, bringing us struggling vines, brown grass, and withered cover crops. We found ourselves hoping for rain in August. We almost never hope for rain in August. A dry August is usually critical for a high-quality harvest. We got our rain. Debby overflowed our rain gauge at 5 inches.
Whiplash. The vines pumped a lot of water from the roots to the berries. The swelling was noticeable. We could also taste the dilution. Fortunately there was no skin bursting or splitting. Now we are enjoying ideal weather: sunny and dry. Every day the berries lose that excessive water, the swelling subsides, and soon ripening will be back on track.
Grapevines are resilient. Harvest is still weeks away. Coming off of a summer of severe drought and a record rainfall, we are admittedly a bit shell shocked. The weather is now fine and we are too.
From our Cellar to your Door
Winegrower’s Selection
Coming in November
We’ve heard from many of you that your busy lives have made frequent visits to Linden more difficult. If you've missed special releases and small lot bottlings, Linden's first subscription may be of interest. An initial pilot offering will kick off in November. Over the winter (our slow time), we'll design more expansive offerings for an April shipment.
The subscription will include six bottles, shipped twice a year, of small lot bottlings, unusual wines, and vintages of which we are particularly proud.
Our initial November offering of six wines:
Cabernet Franc 2022
Claret 2021
Avenius Red 2019
Boisseau Viognier 2021
Wabi Sabi 2021
Hardscrabble Chardonnay 2020
Look for an email this Fall with full details and a link to sign up.
Two More Sunday Vineyard Tours
See for yourself how the grapes are rapidly changing with drought, then rain, as we head into harvest. You can walk Linden's Hardscrabble vineyards with our apprentices to learn what’s happening in the vines, and how that shapes our wine. We’ll demonstrate how each block is managed depending on soil, vine age, and variety. And you'll be able to taste the grapes. We'll finish the tour with our current comparative wine tasting.
This event is for Friends of Linden only. If you want to join the tour but are not yet a Friend of Linden, you can become a member during your visit.
Dress appropriately for walking on uneven terrain and up and down hills.
10:30 am on Sundays in August.
Friends of Linden only.
Parties of 1–4.
$40 per person.
Subscribe to monthly Linden Updates for the latest vineyard and cellar information
Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: August 14, 2024