Journal | March 28, 2020
Hardscrabble Journal
Mistakes
The most valuable lessons come from mistakes. In the cellar the learning curve is quick, consequentially the next vintage’s wines improve. Unfortunately, many vineyard establishment mistakes are not easily rectified, as I was painfully reminded while pruning Hardscrabble’s 2002 block of Cabernet Sauvignon.
This planting had everything going for it. Well drained soils, steep, south facing slope, and high-density vine spacing. Everything was well thought out and well executed. But, the row orientation became its Achille’s Heel.
The rows are following an east/west direction. Turns out this is a much less efficient solar collector than a north/south orientation. The sun travels right on top of the canopy. The top leaves shade the rest of the canopy reducing their ability to photosynthesize. Seem like a minor thing, but the wines express this. Only in the best of vintages does this block make it into Hardscrabble Red. It does however make a pleasant addition to Claret. Adjacent plantings oriented north/south regularly become part of the Hardscrabble blend.
This is one of those things that we cannot change. We have tried to mitigate the situation by reducing yields and playing with leaf removal strategies, but it hasn’t made much difference. The grapes and resulting wines lack the concentration and tannin richness of the neighboring plantings.
Ironically, because of climate change, west coast vineyards are experimenting with east/west row orientation to reduce problems with overripe grapes (their sun is a lot more intense). Maybe our 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon planting is simply ahead of its time.
Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Journal: March 28, 2020