Linden Update | May 28, 2024

Chardonnay "hens and chicks"  from 2023 season.

Bloom

This week Chardonnay is in full bloom. All other varieties will follow in quick succession.

Flowering is not visually interesting as the flower petals are tiny and can hardly be seen from a distance. However bloom is the first period where weather impacts the style and quality of the vintage.

Vines are self-pollinating. No bees required. Dry, warm conditions are ideal for the most successful fertilization of the potential grapes. If it is cloudy and cool, flowering and pollination can be prolonged. Then in turn, the grapes on a given cluster will develop and ripen unevenly. This can be a quality concern for red wines where uniform ripening gives us our best wines.

The weather this time of year can bring some unwelcome surprises. Each variety has its idiosyncrasies. If it is wet, Merlot pollen cannot easily disseminate.. This results in poor "fruit set." Resulting clusters are meager and yields are low.

Chardonnay is sensitive to cool nights (temperatures lower than 50°F) leading to partial fertilization. Berries will ripen evenly, but with size differences. This is known as hens and chicks. This occurred in 2023 and given the forecast for the next few days, could happen again. Yields may be down (small cluster weights), but quality could be up as the small berries are especially flavorful. Last year's small berries in Chardonnay made for particularly powerful wines.  Perhaps we will see the same for 2024.

Boisseau Vineyard

Summer Wine Shipping News

Wine is perishable. If bottles are exposed to heat the wine can become compromised and may not age well. During the summer months, we frequently delay wine shipping during heat spikes. That time is approaching. If you would like to order Linden wines to enjoy this summer, now is the time. Our website features many current offerings. Send us an email or give us a call if you are looking for a wine that is not listed online. We currently ship to Virginia, DC, and Maryland and are looking to add more states in early 2025.

Barrel Tasting Sold Out 

Wait List Available

Sunday, June 2, 2024

Our Chardonnay Barrel Tasting with Linden's winegrowers is now sold out. For one day only, Linden's winegrowers will be in the cellar at each barrel to pour and explain why the 2023 vintage was so special. The 2019 vintage from each vineyard will also be poured alongside the 2023 barrel sample. This is a great opportunity to understand how Linden Chardonnays evolve with time in the bottle.

Wines and Winegrowers

2023 and 2019 Boisseau Chardonnay (Richard Boisseau)
2023 and 2019 Avenius Chardonnay (Shari Avenius)
2023 and 2019 Hardscrabble Chardonnay (Jonathan Weber)
2023 and 2019 Village Chardonnay (Jim Law)
 
If you would like to join the wait list in the case of last minute cancellations, please email wine@lindenvineyards.com. $75 per person, groups of 1-4.
 

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Linden UpdatesJim Law2024