Early spring in Napa is a time of promise. Mustard greens spring to life in the vine rows and the coming vintage release still in barrel allows us a look ahead. Darting from tasting to tasting in Premiere Napa Valley week this year, my anticipation matched that of spring’s exhilarating potential.
Focusing on single-estate blends and sampling nearly 100 Cabernet wines, my early impression is that two distinct styles will emerge from the 2022 growing season. One offers a super-ripe, darkfruited profile with soft, round and plump tannins; the other lighter wines with red fruit, assertive tannins and angular acidity. Even reports from the Napa Valley Vintners association have labelled 2022 a ‘tale of two harvests’.
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There was a major heat event in early September, and although it was followed by unexpected late-season rains it still caused sugars to spike and led to widespread fruit desiccation. Some wineries happened to have commenced harvest for Cabernet Sauvignon grapes a week prior, but most were nowhere near ready to pick and held out. That meant having to combine underripe fruit with overripe fruit in many cases, in order to create a balanced wine.
Richly scented, black-fruited Cabernets in a more
