The Vintage of a Lifetime
In 2023, Napa Valley experienced one of the longest growing seasons in a decade or more. With consistent, mild weather throughout the season, above-average crop yields, and extended hang time, 2023 is an exceptional, high-quality, memorable vintage.
Winter and spring rains led to full reservoirs and healthy, saturated soils; ideal conditions as grape growers headed into bud break. The mild, warm summer weather (72-75 degrees F) supported healthy canopy growth through bloom and set. Though vineyards faced mildew pressure, clusters remained loose for good air flow. Relatively cool weather throughout the growing season in tandem with an abundance of sunshine allowed grape skins to ripen slowly and develop maximal dark red color components for red wines.
Harvest kicked off around Labor Day weekend (September 2-4, 2023) for white wine grapes; Cabernet Sauvignon harvest started the end of September / early-October; all picks wrapped up by mid-November. Vintners relished the long harvest season, which provided extended hang time to develop flavors.
For red wines, full ripeness of grape skins and seeds provided the building blocks for a tannic backbone which is the source of resilience for a long-lived wine. Winemakers describe the wines as having freshness, purity and elegance overall.
Read the vintage updates from 2023.
“Fruit is showing deep color, complex flavors and aromas and good acidity levels, according to Brain. Yields varied from average-to-heavy in some areas. “I love the complexity of the vintage,” he said. “I think that the sub-AVAs will be quite distinct this year, truly revealing the appellation and soil type.” – Wine Institute
“Looking at the wines, the 2023s show remarkable purity and finesse while at the same time bringing beautiful depth and concentration.” – Jeb Dunnick
“is 2023 the vintage of the century, as the rumours might have it? Overall, the quality in 2023 is very high. After tasting through dozens of barrel samples, it’s clear that 2023 is a vintage where it was likely more challenging to make bad wine than good wine.” – VINFOLIO
“The 2023 vintage is outstanding – and the wines will appeal particularly to those with a classic palate. Given the late and long, cool growing season, many – if not most – of the wines have a distinct Bordelais quality, balancing pure Californian fruit with fresh acidity and elegant, nimble body – with “a sense of weightlessness”. – VINFOLIO
– Napa Valley Vintage Report – Vinfolio
– Cheers! Napa Valley winemakers say 2023 vintage could be best ever – Cornell Barnard, ABC 7 News
– 2023 Napa Valley Vintage: Winemakers Say It’s Superior – Nicole, MacKay, Somm TV
– Napa 2023 might be ‘the vintage of a lifetime’ – Sarah Neish, thedrinksbusiness.com
– California 2023 harvest report – Samantha Cole Johnson, jancisrobinson.com (login required to read article)
– 2023 Growing Season: The Napa Edition – Advanced Viticulture
High temperatures caused harvest to accelerate over the past week, with some growers picking their first Cabernet Sauvignon and reporting excellent quality. read the entire article from St Helena Star: https://napavalleyregister.com/news/community/star/napa-valley-grape-harvest-wine/article_69a95f82-679a-11ee-b411-8b826bb965e8.html
Unperturbed by some weekend showers, Napa Valley’s grape growers are expecting the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest to finally heat up in the next few weeks. Bill Dyer on Diamond Mountain expects harvest to “begin in earnest in the next week or 10 days.” “With mild to warm weather anticipated throughout the week, many winemakers are looking Read the full article…
The team up at Chappellet Vineyard are documenting this year’s harvest with a new video series: 2023 Harvest Diaries. Check it out:
“On a normal Labor Day weekend, Greg Morthole would be sliding into bed around 1 a.m. after a long day of walking the vineyards, tasting through fermenters, making some judgment calls, and planning more of the same for tomorrow.” Read the entire article by Sara Schneider at https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/wine-late-harvest-18356088.php
“Sunny days and cool nights are making for ideal harvest weather, according to Napa Valley grape growers. The remaining Sauvignon Blanc will be coming in soon, while growers are still waiting for sugars to develop in red varieties. Some expect a flurry of activity in late September and October.” Read the entire article at Read the full article…
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