2022 Sonoma Vintage

The 2022 season in Sonoma began with a parched winter as part of a multi-year drought that made 2020 through 2022 the driest three-year stretch in California's recorded history. January through August 2022 was the driest such period in 128 years for Sonoma County. A spring frost added early stress in some sites, though the growing season through early summer was described by multiple growers as near ideal, with normal temperatures allowing full canopy development. Everything changed around Labor Day, when a historic heat dome descended on Northern California. Santa Rosa shattered its all-time temperature record with a 115°F reading on September 6. The heat accelerated ripening across the board, turned the harvest into a sprint, and in some unirrigated vineyards caused shriveling and sunburn. Rain in mid-September followed, adding a further complication before the season wound down.

• Winter through early summer: near-ideal growing conditions, healthy canopy development, minimal disease pressure
• Spring frost: documented in parts of Sonoma, compounding drought stress on vines already under water restrictions
• Labor Day heat dome: Santa Rosa hit a record 115°F on September 6; temperatures above 105°F persisted for several days across the county
• Mid-September rain: a brief respite that refreshed vines but added logistical complexity; botrytis was not a significant issue due to vine health

Sonoma's 19 AVAs responded differently to 2022's extremes, and the diversity of outcomes underscored just how varied the county's microclimates truly are. The Sonoma Coast, including Fort Ross-Seaview, was described as producing graceful, pure wines shaped by early picks and cool fermentations that favored finesse. Jasmine Hirsch of Hirsch Vineyards, one of the coast's benchmark producers, cited exceptional quality despite yields around 50% of normal. In the warmer Russian River Valley, Pinot Noir performed especially well, noted by Jackson Family Wines winemaster Randy Ullom as one of the vintage's highlights alongside Anderson Valley. Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon thrived thanks to the variety's natural heat tolerance, with smaller clusters translating to deep color and concentration. In Dry Creek Valley, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc both shone, though timing was critical for managing ripeness during the September surge.

• Sonoma Coast and Fort Ross-Seaview: graceful, finesse-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay; yields severely reduced but quality exceptional at top sites like Hirsch Vineyards
• Russian River Valley: Pinot Noir picked before the heat wave showed characteristic elegance; post-heat-wave lots required careful selection
• Alexander Valley: Cabernet Sauvignon excelled, benefiting from heat tolerance and the concentration effect of smaller berries
• Dry Creek Valley: Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc were standouts; drought-mandated irrigation restrictions added a layer of challenge for all varieties

The 2022 vintage rewarded producers with deep vineyard knowledge and the flexibility to respond quickly to rapidly changing conditions. The International Wine Report highlighted the vintage's best results coming from those who picked early, used cold handling, and favored gentle extraction. In Zinfandel, Ridge Geyserville from Alexander Valley delivered a benchmark 2022, with its blend of 67% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 10% Petite Sirah, and 3% Mataro earning consistent acclaim from major critics, including 94 points from Wine Spectator and 95 from Jeb Dunnuck. Ridge's old-vine sites, some planted in 1882, handled the extreme heat with aplomb. Decanter's 2022 Sonoma vintage report named benchmark producers including Occidental, Williams Selyem, Failla, Hirsch, and Arnot-Roberts among the vintage's top performers. Benziger Family Winery in Glen Ellen wrapped harvest just before mid-October, its earliest finish since 2004.

• Ridge Geyserville 2022: 67% Zinfandel field blend from Alexander Valley old vines; 94 points Wine Spectator, 95 points Jeb Dunnuck
• Hirsch Vineyards Sonoma Coast: exceptional quality despite 50% yield reduction; a benchmark for coastal Pinot Noir in a challenging year
• Williams Selyem, Failla, Occidental, and Arnot-Roberts: cited by Decanter among the top 25 wines of the 2022 vintage
• Benziger Family Winery: completed harvest by mid-October, the winery's earliest finish since 2004, with winemaker Lisa Amaroli calling it a year for the record books

The 2022 vintage's concentration and structural depth suggest wines built for medium-term aging, though approachability varies significantly by variety and producer approach. Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs from the best sites are entering a pleasurable drinking window now, with peak expressions expected through 2028 to 2030. Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, buoyed by the vintage's heat concentration and natural tannin structure, has further to run and will reward patience through the early 2030s. Ridge Geyserville, with its old-vine tannin architecture, is projected to drink well through 2035. Coastal Chardonnay from producers who prioritized freshness over extraction is approachable now and will develop nicely through 2027. Reduced yields mean supply of premium 2022 Sonoma wines remains limited.

• Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: drinking well now; peak window approximately 2025 to 2030 for top sites
• Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: benefits from further cellaring; peak drinking approximately 2027 to 2033
• Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley Zinfandel: approachable now; structured examples like Ridge Geyserville rated drink through 2035
• Sonoma Coast Chardonnay: best enjoyed now to 2027; freshness-focused examples will maintain vibrancy

Decanter's Sonoma correspondent described 2022 as a year defined by the density and concentration of flavors and aromas across the region's 60,000 vineyard acres, pushing back against the lazy label of a simple hot-year vintage. The reality was considerably more nuanced. The International Wine Report characterized 2022 as urgent and compressed, demanding quick thinking and sharp instincts, while 2023 by contrast was patient and measured. Within Sonoma's diverse landscape, coastal sites near the Pacific delivered graceful restraint while warmer inland zones achieved powerful ripeness. Growers who managed irrigation carefully ahead of the Labor Day heat event, picked in phases, and used cold handling in the cellar produced wines that defy the stereotype of an overripe heat-year California red. The vintage sits as a contrast to the cooler, more abundant 2023 that followed, and collectors holding both vintages have a compelling study in opposites.

• The 'tale of two harvests': fruit picked before the Labor Day heat dome generally shows greater freshness and tension than post-heat-wave lots
• Drought-reduced yields meant smaller berries and clusters with concentrated phenolics, color, and flavor across nearly all varieties
• Sonoma's 19 AVAs and pronounced microclimate diversity made 2022 a vintage where producer decision-making mattered enormously
• Sonoma County remains the world's most sustainably certified winegrowing region, with 99% of vineyard acreage third-party certified, adding resilience tools for managing extreme weather