A look back on the 2018 Napa Valley vintage as they hit wine shop shelves around the world

As the 2018 reds from Napa Valley are hitting the market, we look back on what will prove to be an amazing vintage.

How are the 2018s from Napa Valley? In this video several winemakers and wine experts offer their views on how the 2018s are showing and how long they will cellar.

Back in 2018, February saw abundant rains, followed by lots of filtered light in spring and early summer. Both bud break and flowering occurred a bit late, but under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set. Summer brought generous sun during the day and cooler marine influences, virtually uninterrupted by major heat spikes. The relatively mild summer followed by extended fall sunshine and moderate heat created near-ideal conditions for winemakers to allow their fruit to accumulate flavor complexity with gradual increases in sugar levels.

Volume was great, up 20-30% increase over average crop quantity.

In all, 2018 was a spectaclar vintage and is showing well as these wines hit market!