2022 Napa Valley Vintage

The year opened gently. A mild winter provided enough rainfall to recharge soil moisture, and a warm, dry spring allowed even bud break and flowering with no significant frost events during that phase. Bud break started in March in Carneros and throughout some mountain appellations. Leading into May, vines showed strong shoot growth and average crop yields, and early July kicked off veraison and the countdown to harvest. August brought warm days and cool nights, perfect for ripening. White-wine harvest opened in early August, followed quickly by the reds, with an almost nonexistent gap between the two. Then September turned the season on its head. A five-day heat wave in the triple digits shifted Lawrence Wine Estates' farming and harvest plan, and south St. Helena hit a record-setting 114 degrees on the Monday of Labor Day week. Summer as a whole brought a series of heat waves, with temperatures frequently above 90 to 100°F and early-September spikes that took some days past 115°F. Growers managed the canopy to shade clusters against sunburn and excessive heat, and Lawrence Wine Estates used trellis systems that split and flop the canopy over the vines to protect the crop from strong morning and afternoon sun. Precise irrigation helped prevent dehydration. Rain followed the spike, 0.6 to 1.2 inches of it. Crews opened canopies for airflow and alleviated mold and botrytis. The frenzied tempo continued until the rains came and the weather cooled in October. Most wineries and growers had concluded harvest by October 27, 2022.

• A mild winter recharged soil moisture, and a warm, dry spring gave even bud break and flowering with no significant frost during that phase
• Bud break started in March in Carneros and some mountain appellations; veraison kicked off in early July
• August delivered warm days and cool nights, perfect for ripening
• A five-day triple-digit heat wave hit in September, with 114 degrees recorded in south St. Helena on the Monday of Labor Day week
• Canopy shading protected clusters from sunburn and excessive heat, and irrigation helped prevent dehydration
• Rain of 0.6 to 1.2 inches followed the heat spike, and crews opened canopies for airflow against mold and botrytis
• Harvest opened in early August for whites and had concluded for most wineries by October 27

Chimney Rock Winery's Elizabeth Vianna put it this way: “I’m calling 2022 a tale of two harvests.” The first was intense and fast-paced, running from August to mid-September. The mid-September rain then created a gap and a sudden halt to harvest. The fruit that came in afterward had mild early-October weather and plenty of time to reach perfect ripeness. Matt Ward of Pride Mountain Vineyards said the rain event “plumped up” fruit still hanging on the vines. The frenzied tempo of the first phase continued until the rains arrived and the weather cooled in October, and the Napa Valley Vintners harvest release added that winemakers were calling 2022 one of the more unique vintages in recent history.

• Chimney Rock Winery's Elizabeth Vianna called 2022 a tale of two harvests
• Phase one ran intense and fast-paced from August to mid-September
• Mid-September rain created a gap and a sudden halt to harvest
• Mild early-October weather gave the remaining fruit time to reach perfect ripeness
• Matt Ward of Pride Mountain Vineyards said the rain “plumped up” fruit still hanging

The Napa Valley Vintners reported winemakers describing the 2022 whites as having perfect acidity and freshness with remarkable flavors and textures, and the reds as excellently structured with deep red colors, luxurious tannins and exquisite fruit-forward aromatics.

• Whites: perfect acidity and freshness, with remarkable flavors and textures, in the Napa Valley Vintners account
• Reds: excellently structured, with deep red colors, luxurious tannins and exquisite fruit-forward aromatics, in the same account