Despite the Challenges, the 2020 Vintage will not be Absent from the History Book
The 2020 season will be remembered for factors beyond the normal measurements. Here in the valley, it was a warm, dry winter and we didn’t start to see rain and cold weather until the end of March. While the mild spring season gave us a great early start, the wineries of Napa Valley worked under extensive safety protocols due to the COVID pandemic. Summer brought very cool mornings and very warm days. This build-up to harvest was interrupted by two wildfires as we turned to the fall; The LNU Complex Fire started on August 17th and the Glass Fire started on September 27. The white wine harvest started in early August, the wines are showing excellent development in cellars, reflecting the fine vintage year.
While the red wine harvest will be smaller than usual, most wineries were able to move forward with red wine vinification. While the 2020 Napa Valley harvest proved to be one of the most challenging in history, our winemakers remain not only optimistic but committed to bottling wines of the highest quality. The story of this vintage will continue to unfold over the years to come.
“After what turned out to be a difficult and traumatic growing season across California, those who were able to did manage to produce many high-quality wines…” – – Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter.com
“All was not lost in a Napa Cabernet vintage turned upside-down by wildfires and a pandemic: Hope, and great winemaking, finds a way, and 2020 may yet yield successes” – – James Molesworth, WineSpectator.com
“It’s impressive to taste high-quality 2020 wines from Napa Valley when thinking about what winemakers went through that year. Not only was it a very hot and dry growing season for their vines, but it was also complicated by two damaging wildfires as well as the COVID pandemic. Winemakers who actually had the luck and courage to make clean wines, both red and white, showed a real sense of relief as well as satisfaction. And their wines are all the more exciting, if unadulterated, if there is real quality in the bottle.” – – James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
– Napa Cabernet 2020: Vintage report and top recommendations Jonathan Cristaldi, Decanter.com
– Keeping an Open Mind on 2020 – James Molesworth, WineSpectator.com
– Karen MacNeil’s thoughts on Napa Valley’s 2020 vintage – Karen MacNeil, NapaValley.wine
– Finding Clarity in Napa 2020 – James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
Napa Valley Wines – Should you buy the 2018-2020 Vintages?
2018 vintage overview for Napa Valley Cabernet, Merlot and Red Blends
An update from Chris at Bouchaine Vineyards in Carneros on the 2020 harvest: “A cooler summer in Carneros was followed by some nice heat. The third week of August kicked harvest off at Bouchaine Vineyards (on 8/20), a week or so earlier than average. We see smaller clusters across the board for Pinot Noir and Read the full article…
What does harvest look like on the crush pad this year? We’ll let the teams at Paraduxx, Trefethen Family Vineyards and Tres Sabores show you! Above is the team at Paraduxx. Below is Julie at Tres Sabores: And here is the team at Trefethen Family Vineyards: The story of this vintage started long before Read the full article…
Harvest is moving forward in Napa Valley. We continue with whites and early ripening reds coming in across the valley. Above is a photo of grapes coming in at Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery. Below are shots from Monticello Vineyards and Amici Cellars. Follow #NapaHarvest in social media for updates directly from the wineries. While Read the full article…
We woke up this morning (if we went to sleep at all) relieved that the #HennesseyFire has continued to veer away from the valley floor. We’re hopeful that the hills to the east of #Napa have been through the worst of it. While not contained, the endless work that first responders and fire crews have Read the full article…
Aligoté from Napa Valley? Yes, thanks to Young Inglewood Vineyards. They make such a small amount of this wine – like 20 cases in 2019 – that if you see a bottle, grab it as quick as you can! And, it’s one of the first grapes to come in every year for harvest. This started Read the full article…
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