2015 Napa Valley Vintage

Winter came in erratically. Matt Reid, winemaker at Benessere Vineyards and a member of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers, recorded more rain in December 2014 than in all the other winter months combined, followed by a January that was dry, with 0.11 inches logged at one Calistoga vineyard, and warm. Warm and dry in winter means one thing in Napa: early bud break, in this case as much as three weeks ahead of normal in some places. NVV described a season of alternating warm and cool patterns, with that early bud break followed by a long, relatively cool flowering and fruit set period. Early bud break usually raises the frost question, because delicate new shoots do not have the resilience of dormant canes. 2015 dodged it. The Oakville weather station recorded lows of 32 degrees on March 9 and March 24, and no other frost-level lows, with March and April nights otherwise mild. The damage instead came from cool weather at the wrong moment. May temperatures were cool enough to cause problems with berry set, a process that cool weather prolongs and that reduces yields when flowers go unpollinated, and NVV reported the cool spring producing a long flowering period followed by somewhat uneven fruit set. Summer was warm on the whole, warmer than any season since 2008 by Reid's reckoning, but not spiky. He noted fewer days over 100 degrees than he considered typical, and NVV described a summer of limited heat spikes that helped growers keep water use minimal. A few rain showers fell in May, June and July without affecting crop quality and without doing anything to relieve the drought. Napa took in nearly 75 percent of normal precipitation over the year, and NVV credited the dry, warm winter for small clusters with highly concentrated flavors.

• More rain fell in December 2014 than in all other winter months combined; January 2015 was dry and warm
• Bud break ran as much as three weeks ahead of normal in some places
• The Oakville station logged 32 degree lows on March 9 and March 24 and no other frost-level lows
• Cool May temperatures caused problems with berry set, giving a long flowering and uneven fruit set
• The season ran warmer than any since 2008 but with limited heat spikes and fewer 100 degree days than typical
• Napa received nearly 75 percent of normal precipitation, and small clusters with concentrated flavors followed

2015 was a difficult fire season for California, and Napa did not escape the smell of it. The Wragg and Jerusalem fires burned at the fringes of Napa County, and the Valley Fire hit Lake County to the north hard. What matters for the wines is where the smoke went. Prevailing southwest winds kept most wildfire smoke out of Napa Valley. Smoke that did blow in from fires in Trinity and Humboldt counties arrived too late in the season to be metabolized by the grapes. The Benessere account was unequivocal: there would be no issues of smoke taint in 2015 Napa Valley wines. NVV reported the same conclusion from its side, that no Napa Valley vineyards or wineries were damaged by wildfire and that it had no reports of smoke taint affecting Napa Valley wines.

• The Wragg and Jerusalem fires burned at the fringes of Napa County during a hard California fire season
• Prevailing southwest winds carried most smoke away from Napa Valley
• Smoke arriving from Trinity and Humboldt county fires came too late in the season to be metabolized by the grapes
• The Valley Fire dramatically affected Lake County, but no Napa Valley vineyards or wineries were damaged
• NVV reported no reports of smoke taint affecting Napa Valley wines

Harvest opened on July 22 when the first Napa Valley sparkling-wine producers started picking, with Mumm Napa Valley winemaker Ludovic Dervin among them. NVV called it one of the earliest starts in recent memory. The pace held. Fruit came into wineries seven to ten days earlier than in 2014, itself an early year, and NVV expected most vintners to conclude by mid-October, among the region's earliest harvests ever. What everyone reported alongside the early dates was less fruit. After the large harvests of 2012, 2013 and 2014, most growers had already expected a more typical crop load, and what they got was lighter than that. NVV reported quality running high but quantities notably low, especially compared with the prior three record-setting harvests. On Howell Mountain, Laura Barrett of Clif Family Winery reported harvest picking up speed across a broad range of varieties, from Sauvignon Blanc to Syrah, Zinfandel and even Cabernet Sauvignon, with consistent reports of slightly lower yields. Ron Haber of Haber Vineyards, also on Howell Mountain, reported lower-than-average cluster counts even though the vines were handling the drought with healthy canopies. Angelina Mondavi of Aloft Wine said flavors were running ahead of schedule and sugars trending two to three weeks earlier than usual because of the drought. In the Chiles Valley District, Alexander Eisele of Volker Eisele Family Estate reported higher-elevation vineyards at 1,800 and 1,400 feet bringing in Zinfandel and Petite Sirah with much lower yields but beautiful fruit quality, and the same pattern of clean fruit and lower yields from lower-elevation Chardonnay. NVV pointed out that the three plentiful vintages before it left a cushion of supply for consumers.

• Harvest began July 22 with the first sparkling picks at Mumm Napa Valley, one of the earliest starts in recent memory
• Fruit arrived at wineries seven to ten days earlier than in the already-early 2014
• Most vintners were expected to finish by mid-October, among Napa's earliest harvests ever
• NVV reported high quality and notably low quantities against the record harvests of 2012 to 2014
• Howell Mountain growers reported lower-than-average cluster counts with healthy canopies
• Chiles Valley reported much lower yields at 1,800 and 1,400 feet with beautiful fruit quality