Mentor Wine | Branaire-Ducru 2009

A number of years ago, Steven Spurrier of “Judgment of Paris” fame visited Linden. He was particularly impressed with our 2009 Hardscrabble Red, which reminded him of Branaire-Ducru, a classified growth estate in St. Julian, Bordeaux. That comment alone made Branaire-Ducru one of our Mentor wineries. Every new release is purchased and tasted, and we get an idea as to how they manage the personality of each vintage.

We learn from mentors and we emulate mentors, but if we are to continue to evolve, we eventually have to follow our own path. Our last several vintages have challenged us to rethink the traditional Bordeaux style. Weather patterns are changing. We have a much better sense of our terroir. We are developing our own stylistic preferences.

Bordeaux has given us a foundation to work from, especially in the vineyard. The lessons of soil/variety relationships, respecting vine age, canopy, and yield management, and the consequences of picking decisions remain rock solid. However, our winemaking is changing. Fruit and finesse are taking precedence over the power of tannins and oak. As we gain knowledge and experience, our winemaking becomes less involved and more relaxed.

Thanks for the assist Bordeaux, but we’ll take it from here.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” —Leonardo da Vinci

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Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Mentor Wines: Branaire-Ducru 2009