Finally, Perfect Weather

Finally, the weather we had hoped for has arrived. Perfect ripening conditions. Tomorrow will be the beginning of a long stretch of harvesting and crushing.

We went through a rough patch last week with clouds, showers and soggy conditions. We waited it out. Now time and weather are on our side. Sauvignon Blanc is first up. Last week we did harvest a small block of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and were frankly underwhelmed with the results. But several days of sun and wind are transforming the remaining Sauvignon grapes into something special. Unfortunately Sauvignon Blanc is fragile and rot prone. We will have to do some rigorous sorting both in the field and on the sorting table. For this reason, we’ll only be harvesting small amounts each day in order to give us lots of time to be as meticulous as possible.

The Chardonnay grapes are in great shape. They will stay on the vines until next week. By that time they will be very ripe with concentrated flavors. Texture and mouth feel make Chardonnay wines so special. That can only come from fully ripe grapes.

Terroir winemaking requires risk taking. If we are committed to a non-interventionist, no manipulation, no additive approach, then the grapes have to be picked when fully ripe, concentrated and balanced. That means a lot of sleepless nights for us.

But now we are in good spirits and we are sleeping well.

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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Journal: September 14, 2022