2020 Washington State Vintage

The 2020 growing season opened on schedule, with bud break in mid-April aligned with historical norms and bloom beginning in the third week of May. Late July and early August brought some heat spikes, but overall it was a moderately warm, even summer rather than the blistering heat of 2015. Harvest kicked off in the third week of August, tracking close to recent years. Then, in the second week of September, significant wildfire smoke rolled in from fires burning across the western seaboard, pausing harvest activity for nearly ten days. The smoke layer also stalled sugar accumulation, pushing many late-ripening red varieties into the cooler portions of September and October. October temperatures were above average before a freeze event on October 25 brought the growing season to a close across many sites.

• Bud break mid-April, bloom late May; season opened on historical schedule
• Moderate summer with heat spikes in late July and early August; harvest began third week of August
• Wildfire smoke arrived second week of September, pausing harvest for roughly ten days
• Smoke stalled sugar accumulation; many late reds pushed into cooler October conditions
• Growing season closed with a freeze event around October 25

The Evans Canyon fire, which burned more than 75,000 acres in the Cascade foothills northwest of Yakima, was the dominant smoke source for Columbia Valley vineyards in 2020. Because smoke primarily affects grape skins, red wines faced the greatest risk. Smoke taint can impart aromas and flavors of ash, cigarette smoke, and charred wood, and critically it may not become detectable until fermentation or even years after bottling. Washington State University associate professor Tom Collins set up particle counters in the Yakima and Columbia valleys to monitor smoke density in real time. The Washington State Wine Commission responded with established protocols for testing and mitigation. Betz Family Winery, farming sites between Walla Walla and Yakima Valley, was the most visible casualty, choosing not to bottle any 2020 wine. WSU researchers and industry commentators agreed, however, that Washington as a whole fared significantly better than Oregon and California.

• Evans Canyon fire: more than 75,000 acres burned northwest of Yakima, main Columbia Valley smoke source
• Smoke taint risk highest for red varieties, as volatile phenols penetrate grape skins during fermentation
• WSU's Tom Collins deployed air particle counters across Yakima and Columbia valleys for real-time monitoring
• Betz Family Winery did not bottle any 2020 wine; it was the first skipped vintage since their 1997 founding
• Washington State Wine Commission: smoke impact not widespread; vast majority of wineries released 2020 wines

Washington's wine regions experienced the vintage in markedly different ways, depending on proximity to smoke sources, elevation, and harvest timing. Red Mountain, with its southwest-facing vineyards and consistently warm diurnal conditions, is widely regarded as one of Washington's most reliable sites for Cabernet Sauvignon ripeness. The Horse Heaven Hills, including the historic Champoux Vineyard, benefited from elevation and air drainage that moderated smoke impact. Quilceda Creek's winemaker Paul Golitzin noted that Red Mountain and Horse Heaven Hills, being elevated and not valley-floor sites, were less susceptible to smoke concentration at vineyard level. Walla Walla Valley presented a mixed picture: Leonetti Cellar declassified fruit from some vineyards while retaining quality from others. Yakima Valley was most directly in the smoke path. Overall, the vintage rewarded producers with multiple vineyard sources who could blend away affected lots.

• Red Mountain: southwest-facing sites and strong diurnal shift consistently brought Cabernet to full ripeness
• Horse Heaven Hills: Champoux Vineyard's 600-800ft elevation aided natural air drainage, limiting smoke concentration
• Walla Walla Valley: mixed results; declassification common at multi-vineyard estates like Leonetti Cellar
• Yakima Valley: most directly exposed to Evans Canyon smoke; harvest timing critical to quality
• Multi-vineyard producers with blending flexibility navigated the vintage most successfully

Despite the challenges, the 2020 vintage produced a number of genuinely exceptional wines. Quilceda Creek's 2020 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced 90% from the Champoux Vineyard and 10% from the Mach One Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills, spent 22 months in 100% new French oak and received 98 points from James Suckling. Quilceda Creek noted the smoke primarily affected them by blocking sunlight and extending the growing season into cooler harvest conditions rather than imparting direct taint. Vinous highlighted Cayuse Vineyards, Quilceda Creek, Force Majeure, Upchurch Vineyard, Figgins, and Cadence as producers delivering wines they could recommend from the vintage. Decanter described the best 2020 Washington wines as balancing elegance and power with present but accessible tannins.

• Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2020: 98 points James Suckling; sourced from Champoux and Mach One vineyards
• Cayuse Vineyards and Force Majeure: among Vinous's recommended producers for 2020
• Figgins (Leonetti Cellar): selectively declassified affected fruit, preserving quality in final blends
• Best 2020s described as aromatic, floral, with vivid fruit and well-integrated tannins

The wines of 2020, assessed by multiple critics tasting through the vintage, show a distinctive personality shaped by the season's unusual arc. Vinous described the 2020s as aromatic, floral, and lifted on the nose with vivid fruit character, yet softer and more supple on the mid-palate than the best Washington years, with well-integrated tannins in the top examples. This character reflects both the extended hang time after smoke delayed ripening and the cooler finishing conditions of September and October that preserved acidity. Yields were substantially down across the board, a factor that concentrated what fruit was harvested. Winemaking responses to smoke risk included shortened skin contact times, rigorous lot-by-lot sensory and laboratory analysis, and declassification of affected parcels. The technical baseline for those who avoided taint was clean, ripe fruit with balanced natural acidity.

• Aromatic profile: lifted, floral, vivid dark fruit character across best examples
• Mid-palate often softer than benchmark Washington years; tannins accessible and well-integrated
• Low yields from prior-season frost and poor fruit set concentrated quality in retained fruit
• Winemaking response: shortened maceration, parcel-by-parcel sensory analysis, declassification of tainted lots
• Cooler late-season conditions preserved natural acidity in both reds and whites

The 2020 Washington vintage is best understood as a producer-dependent year rather than a uniformly strong or weak one. Vinous concluded that the vintage turned out better than originally expected and is not without its highlights, recommending a buy-the-producer approach. The best wines, from producers who avoided smoke taint through careful site selection and rigorous sorting, offer genuine pleasure now and into the early-to-mid 2030s, though they may not match the depth of exceptional Washington years like 2015 or 2019. Wines from smoke-affected lots that were bottled despite marginal taint levels carry the risk of developing off-characters in bottle over time, making careful buying decisions important. Collectors would do well to focus on top-performing estates in Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain, where the vintage's shortcomings were minimized and genuine quality was achieved.

• Top producers (Quilceda Creek, Force Majeure, Cayuse, Cadence): drinking well now; optimal window through early 2030s
• Vintage best approached producer-first: terroir and winemaker selection matter more than broad vintage characterization
• Smoke taint risk in bottle: marginal lots may develop off-characters with age; buy from reputable sources
• Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain: most consistent quality due to elevation and air drainage advantages
• Collectors: prioritize 2022 and 2023 for long-term investment; 2020s offer more near-term drinking pleasure