2006 Sonoma Vintage

The 2006 Sonoma growing season was anything but straightforward. An unusually cool and wet spring delayed bud break across the county, slowing flowering and creating persistent botrytis and mildew pressure. The late start proved a double-edged sword: when temperatures spiked above 100°F for several days in July, the grapes were still firm and green, keeping sunburn damage to a minimum. August brought cooler conditions, and a long, moderate stretch through September allowed deliberate ripening. The season's final challenge arrived in October, when rains struck before all producers had completed harvest.

• Cool, soggy spring delayed bud break and created significant disease pressure throughout the county
• July heat spike exceeded 100°F but caused limited sunburn damage due to the late-season start
• August and September brought welcome moderation, allowing slow and deliberate ripening
• October rains disrupted harvest for late-picking varieties, particularly in cooler coastal sites

Performance in 2006 was sharply divided by grape variety and site. Producers in Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast who harvested Pinot Noir and Chardonnay before the October rains made genuinely fine wines, while those caught by the rain faced rot and dilution. Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot showed particularly dark colors and handled the damp conditions well, as the thick skins of these varieties provided protection. Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, grown on well-drained benchland soils, also benefited from better drainage during the wet spells and produced wines with good concentration and integrated structure.

• Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast: Pinot Noir quality highly dependent on harvest timing before October rains
• Carneros: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir faced serious botrytis pressure; charm in the whites but mixed results overall
• Alexander Valley: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot showed dark color and good ripeness, relatively unaffected by autumn moisture
• Dry Creek Valley: Zinfandel benefited from well-drained benchland soils and performed consistently well

Williams Selyem confirmed the unusually cool and wet early spring caused a late start to their 2006 harvest, with the prolonged July heat spikes followed by additional moisture requiring attentive vineyard care throughout the season. Kosta Browne, founded in Sebastopol in 1997 by Dan Kosta and Michael Browne, produced approximately 10,500 cases across their 2006 vintage, with their Russian River Valley Pinot Noir showing aromas of raspberry, sweet plum, and strawberry alongside darker cola and cherry notes on the palate. Turley Wine Cellars, founded by Larry Turley in Napa Valley in 1993, produced their Grist Vineyard Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley, a wine that has been part of their single-vineyard program for decades.

• Williams Selyem documented the late-start, heat-spike, and rain-challenged season directly in their 2006 vintage notes
• Kosta Browne (founded Sebastopol, 1997) produced 10,500 cases in 2006, including Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
• Turley Wine Cellars (founded Napa Valley, 1993) sourced Grist Vineyard Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley
• Hanna Winery owner Christine Hanna summed up the year as requiring producers to be fully on top of their vineyards

By 2026, the best 2006 Sonoma reds are approaching or at peak maturity. Well-cellared Pinot Noirs from producers who harvested before the October rains are showing secondary characteristics including dried cherry, forest floor, and earthy complexity, though bottles should be assessed carefully given the vintage's uneven nature. Dry Creek Valley Zinfandels, supported by the gravelly benchland soils that drained well during the wet season, may still hold fruit concentration alongside evolved spice and leather notes. Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignons from top sites remain the most cellar-worthy wines of the vintage, with firm tannins and the dark fruit concentration observed at harvest still providing structure.

• Pinot Noir: Peak or just past peak for most examples; drink soon, selecting bottles from producers with documented early harvest
• Zinfandel: Drink Creek Valley examples may still show ripe dark fruit with evolved spice; consume now through 2027
• Cabernet Sauvignon: Top Alexander Valley examples remain age-worthy; structured tannins support further cellaring through 2028
• Chardonnay: Virtually all 2006 Sonoma Chardonnay is past its prime and should not be cellared further

The 2006 vintage stands in contrast to both its neighbors. The 2005 California season, while also challenging due to late rains, produced a record-setting crush of 3.76 million tons statewide and was widely regarded as a high-volume year with good overall quality. The 2007 Sonoma harvest, by contrast, was described by Williams Selyem winemaker Bob Cabral as the famine to 2006's feast, with much smaller Pinot Noir crops that concentrated the wines and produced bigger, more tannic reds. Across California broadly, 2006 was viewed as a variable but ultimately successful vintage, particularly for red varieties, with flavors for Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot seen as reminiscent of the well-regarded 2004 vintage despite the very different growing conditions.

• 2005: Record-high California crush of 3.76 million tons; high volume, broadly good quality
• 2006: Challenging, low-yield vintage; quality rewarded attentive growers, especially for reds
• 2007: Dramatically smaller Sonoma Pinot Noir crop; bigger, more tannic wines than 2006
• 2006 Sonoma reds compared favorably to 2004 in terms of flavor profile, despite different weather patterns