Resilience

The weather extremes of vintage 2020 seemed to reflect ongoing Covid ups and downs. A tricky vintage to navigate, but not without rewards.

Winter ended early as March warmed and quickly initiating a very early bud break. From early April to early May we were on frost alert with many close calls. May 9 (Mother’s Day) finally nipped Chardonnay and Merlot vines resulting in reduced yields.

Cooler than average April and May also slowed vine development, but a warm streak in June allowed for good flowering and berry set. A hot, dry mid-July slowed vine growth at just the right time. The vines were looking balanced and ready to put their energy into ripening at as veraison was soon to begin.

Late July gave us a few welcome rain showers that refreshed the vines, but those showers eventually became more steady rains and by mid-August the soils were close to saturated. This slowed the veraison process and pushed predicted harvest dates 7 to 10 days behind average. Smoke haze from the west coast fires filtered sunlight on some days.

Harvest began at Boisseau Vineyard on September 9. Soil water holding capacity and vine age played a critical role in determining picking strategies. Most whites were picked in mid to late September. They trended towards low alcohols, but had very precise acidity and good balance. Reds were harvested from early to mid-October. They are more feminine is style as extractions were gentle due to uneven ripening. Cabernet Franc provided the ripest blending component. It was a good Claret vintage.

Linden Vineyards / Our Wines / Vintage Summaries | 2020 Vintage