Two Day Tastings

Most of Linden’s Red wines have finished fermenting. In a few short weeks a slurry of juice and skins has become wine. Now we have to decide when to drain these fermentation vats into barrels. 

Even though fermentation is finished and the wine is dry (no more sugar remains), the tannins and flavors of the skins and seeds continue to contribute to the wine. Think tea. How long is just the right amount of time to steep? 

Every two days, two samples are taken from each vat. One sample is tasted that day alongside a sample taken two days previously. We taste for evolution. Is the wine gaining weight, length, complexity, or is it about to dry out with a bitter, astringent finish? Each vintage, each variety, each block is different. The wine tells us when it is time to drain and then press out the skins.

We are now starting to drain some lots into barrels. All the Petit Verdot is now drained. Petit Verdot has massive, rustic tannins that can be easily over extracted resulting in an unruly, gnarly wine. The Hardscrabble Cabernet Franc and the Avenius Merlot have good weight and density now. We don’t want to lose the finesse of finish, so it is time to drain. Cabernet Sauvignon from our new plantings have balance and poise, but are starting to show some drying astringency. Their time has come.

We’ll rely on old vine Cabernet Sauvignon to give us the length and structure for the blend. They are only now finishing fermentations, so it will be another week before we start to taste. None of these wines will make a singular wine. That’s not the intention. We look at each as a component and think about their merits and contribution to a final blend. 

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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Journal: October 23, 2022