Journal | June 3, 2022
Flowering
Chardonnay flowers have started to bloom. All the other varieties will quickly follow. It looks like vintage 2022 is right on schedule as June 3 is an average date for Chardonnay to bloom. The weather over the next two weeks will have an influence on both the size and the quality of the vintage. Warm and dry is good. Cold and wet is bad.
Grapes are self-pollinated (no bees involved). If the conditions are wet, the pollen has difficulty doing its job. The sticky dampness prevents the pollen from doing its job (as those who suffer from hay fever and monitor pollen counts are aware). It is very rare for Virginia to have cool temperatures during bloom time, but this can also be detrimental to successful pollination. Unfavorable, wet, cool conditions can result in a low “set”, which is the winegrower’s term for the percentage of flowers that actually become grapes. Low set means loose, scraggly, light clusters and a lower yield. Good set gives us big, tight, dense clusters and a potentially large harvest.
This resulting “cluster architecture” could also play a quality role. Big, dense clusters are more susceptible to rot if we have a wet harvest. Large yields can have a negative impact on quality (lack of concentration in the wines). In July, if the crop looks too big we will have to spend a lot of time cluster thinning: removing some clusters in order to balance the yield with the ripening capacity of each vine.
Finally, warm temperatures promote a quick, uniform bloom and pollination. This bodes well for quality, especially for red wine grapes as synchronistic ripening is ideal. If all the grapes in the same cluster are at the same stage of development there is a better chance of uniformity in ripening. Red wines are made by fermenting the juice on the skins and the seeds which in turn release tannins. Tannins are the backbone of quality in red wines. If they are uniformly ripe, the wines will have less “green”, astringent finishes.
So far, the forecast looks favorable for vintage 2022.
Subscribe to Linden Updates for the latest vineyard and cellar information.
Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Journal: June 3, 2022