Linden Update | September 29, 2021
Harvest 2021: Slow Start and Fast Finish
Most of Linden’s white grapes are now harvested. The weather fluctuations of September have required us to rely on experience and intuition to make difficult picking decisions. Looking back, we are pleased with the results.
Our philosophy of non-interventionist winemaking has been put to the test this year. We don’t make adjustments or additions in the cellar. Therefore we have to harvest grapes that are naturally ripe and balanced. The challenge of this September was that, in some cases, we had to hold off on picking even though we knew that an impending rain would cause some crop loss.
It has been difficult to walk the vineyard just before a rain. While the clusters looked pristine and healthy, the grapes tasted underripe and characterless. We knew that if picked at that moment the resulting wine would be uninspiring. We also knew that after the rain there could be rot and berry splitting. But we hung on to the possibility of further ripening and the potential for wines of intrigue and personality.
And that is what we now have fermenting in the cellar. Our volume is down, but these are wines that we will be proud to pour over the next several years.
Fall weather has finally arrived and what a difference that makes. Every day the red wine grapes gain concentration and tannin maturity. Today we start with Merlot at Avenius Vineyard. We will be taking advantage of these sunny days and cool nights. Harvest will be in full swing all week.
November and December Tastings at Linden
We are looking forward to receiving visitors by reservation through the month of October. However, because of the pandemic and colder weather we will need to limit seating. While this is disappointing, we are working on a series of very focused guided tastings of vintage comparisons, library wines and new releases for the late fall. Look for an email in mid-October with details.
Linden Direct
We have modernized (for us) and streamlined purchasing for pickups and UPS shipping. Linden can now ship to Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. We do hope you will consider taking advantage of these options. During the summer we may need to delay shipping due to excessive heat.
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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Update: September 29, 2021