2021 Napa Valley Vintage

Rain came in January and February and then essentially stopped. Almost no notable precipitation fell across the rest of the 2021 growing season, and that dry pattern gave the vines an ideal environment to flower, bloom and set in early spring. Due in part to the drought, yields were naturally low, which meant less pruning and fruit dropping in the vineyards. Bud break arrived early, in April, with flowering and bloom in May. Summer brought early and even ripening throughout the valley with no concerning heat spikes. At Corison Winery, a cool August promoted great flavor development and firm natural acidity, followed by a moderate heat spike in early September that sped everything up. At Kapcsandy Family Winery, pyrazines in the Cabernet were fading under summer's last flash of moderate heat. White-grape harvest opened on July 30 with Sauvignon Blanc and red grapes began on August 31, one of the earliest starts to harvest on record, and the season finished several weeks earlier than typical. Spottswoode finished harvest at its estate vineyard in early October, when the final Cabernet Sauvignon came in. Honig's Cabernet harvest was around 75 percent complete by October 11. Volker Eisele Family Estate saw some of the earliest Cabernet picking on record, Corison finished its estate Kronos Vineyard the week before the appellation report, and Hyde Vineyards had finished Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with about two weeks projected for the rest of the harvest, including Syrah and Merlot. A small threat of rain amounted to only a gentle mist on parts of Howell Mountain, and a late-October storm brought much-needed rain to the Bay Area right as the last grapes came in, raising hopes for a wet winter ahead.

• January and February rain, then almost no notable precipitation for the rest of the season
• Early April bud break, flowering and bloom in May, and an ideal dry environment for flowering and fruit set
• Early, even summer ripening with no concerning heat spikes; a cool August built flavor and acidity before a moderate early-September heat spike
• White-grape harvest began July 30 with Sauvignon Blanc and reds began August 31, one of the earliest starts on record
• Harvest ended several weeks earlier than typical
• A late-October storm brought rain to the Bay Area just as the last grapes came in

Yields across Spottswoode's estate vineyard were expected to be 25 to 30 percent below average, while some other vineyards it works with saw drops to the tune of 85 percent. Honig's Sauvignon Blanc yields were around 30 percent down, with Cabernet Sauvignon expected to be 10 to 15 percent smaller than a more typical year. Oakville Ranch Vineyards began picking Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc with initial yields down 15 to 20 percent, and the yield at Alpha Omega's Cordes Vineyard was down about 25 percent. At Hyde Vineyards in Carneros, yields were the lowest on record for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Corison's yields were way down, from scant rainfall and cold rainy weather during bloom the prior spring. On Diamond Mountain, Andrew Geoffrey was down 35 to 40 percent while Mueller Family had a fairly normal yield. Napa Valley Vintners' own harvest report said the vintage will be remembered for low yields with intensely flavored, small-sized berries and a smooth and uneventful harvest season.

• Spottswoode expected 25 to 30 percent below average on its estate, with drops to the tune of 85 percent at some vineyards it works with
• Honig's Sauvignon Blanc was down around 30 percent and its Cabernet Sauvignon expected to be 10 to 15 percent smaller than a typical year
• Hyde Vineyards in Carneros had its lowest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir yields on record
• Diamond Mountain showed the spread of the year: Andrew Geoffrey down 35 to 40 percent, Mueller Family fairly normal

Napa avoided a major fire in 2021, a reprieve from the fires that had been part of its fall for the previous four years. Spottswoode saw very little smoke and no fire.

• Napa avoided a major fire in 2021, after four years of fall fires
• Spottswoode saw very little smoke and no fire