2023 Napa Valley Vintage

After several years of severe drought, 2023 opened with water. Winter and spring rains filled reservoirs and saturated soils, setting ideal conditions heading into bud break. The winter brought 70 inches of rain, which Stu Smith of Smith-Madrone called "a gift from heaven" while describing a complete groundwater replenishment. The rain refilled most reservoirs and lakes to full capacity and helped resupply aquifers. Then the cold set the pace. Growing degree days at Paul Hobbs Winery ran 200 to 300 down by late June, making it one of the coolest growing seasons since the winery began keeping records. Dalla Valle Vineyards logged 1,977 GDD by mid-August, against 2,294 at the same point in 2021 and 2,204 in 2018, and Maya Dalla Valle called it the coolest year her team had seen in quite a few vintages. Because rain had replenished soil moisture, her team needed very little to no irrigation, and that, combined with cool weather, slowed growth and increased canopy vigor. A cold, wet winter followed by a persistent June gloom delayed the season, and Stu Smith predicted harvest would run around three weeks behind average. The lag was visible in the fruit: by mid-August, veraison had not yet begun on Dalla Valle's Cabernet Franc, while at the same date in 2022 it had already finished. Mild, warm summer weather of 72 to 75 degrees F supported healthy canopy growth through bloom and set, and clusters stayed loose for good airflow despite mildew pressure in the vineyards. A bit of shatter occurred from cool weather during flowering. On Diamond Mountain, harvesting decisions were made without the drama of heat spikes or smoke effects from wildfires. Harvest opened around Labor Day weekend, September 2 to 4, with white grapes, and Cabernet Sauvignon started at the end of September and early October.

• Winter and spring rains filled reservoirs and saturated soils after years of severe drought; the winter brought 70 inches of rain, by Stu Smith's account
• Growing degree days at Paul Hobbs Winery were down 200 to 300 by late June, among the coolest seasons since the winery began keeping records
• Dalla Valle Vineyards recorded 1,977 GDD by mid-August against 2,294 in 2021 and 2,204 in 2018
• A cold, wet winter and persistent June gloom delayed the season, with harvest predicted around three weeks behind average
• Mildew pressure was present, but loose clusters gave good airflow; a bit of shatter occurred at flowering from cool weather
• On Diamond Mountain, harvesting decisions came without heat spikes or wildfire smoke effects
• White-grape harvest opened around Labor Day weekend, September 2 to 4, with Cabernet Sauvignon starting at the end of September

The season ran long. Decanter's August 2023 forecast had Napa running about three weeks behind the prior year, with picking going well into October or even November, and all picks wrapped up by mid-November. Individual wineries finished across a late spread: Cliff Lede Vineyards finished harvest on October 20, Tom Rinaldi of Patent Wines finished the day before Halloween, Chimney Rock Winery planned to end on Halloween itself, and Clos du Val rescheduled its last Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon pick to November 1 because of tank capacity. Fruit hanging that late met a different hazard. Nighttime temperatures fell below freezing at many sites near the end of harvest, and vineyard managers ran frost fans on Howell Mountain, including at Clif Family's Cold Springs Vineyard. Rinaldi, finishing his 48th Napa Valley harvest, said 2023 "will go down as late and great for the St. Helena AVA."

• Decanter's August 2023 forecast of a three-week delay running into October or November was borne out by the mid-November finish
• All picks wrapped up by mid-November, with individual wineries finishing between roughly October 20 and November 1
• Clos du Val rescheduled its last Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon pick to November 1 because of tank capacity
• Nighttime temperatures fell below freezing at many sites near the end of harvest, and frost fans ran on Howell Mountain
• Tom Rinaldi of Patent Wines finished his 48th Napa Valley harvest the day before Halloween

The long season delivered volume as well as time. Crop yields were above average with extended hang time, and Louis Kapcsandy Jr. of Kapcsandy Family Winery in Yountville reported yields 30 to 40 percent above 2022, which very few growers expected and which made securing new barrels a minor challenge. Not everywhere shared in it. At higher elevation in the Spring Mountain District, Smith-Madrone had a below-average crop for both Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with berries much smaller than normal and shatter taking a toll on the crop, though Stuart Smith said what was lost in tonnage was made up in wine quality. Decanter's August 2023 forecast had flagged this risk: overall crop load looked good, although potentially lower in some sites after years of severe drought. On the fruit itself, Bill Dyer of Dyer Vineyards said many winemakers found natural acidity higher than normal, suggesting long aging potential. Harvest Napa Valley titles its 2023 page "The Vintage of a Lifetime," and a harvest report in the Napa Valley Register noted more than one mention of 2023 as the "vintage of a lifetime," while Dyer wrote that excitement was building that this may be a collectors' vintage.

• Above-average crop yields with extended hang time
• Kapcsandy Family Winery reported yields 30 to 40 percent above 2022, which made new barrels a minor challenge to secure
• At higher elevation in the Spring Mountain District, Smith-Madrone had a below-average crop with smaller berries and shatter
• Many winemakers found natural acidity higher than normal, which Bill Dyer said suggests long aging potential
• Harvest Napa Valley titles 2023 "The Vintage of a Lifetime," and a Napa Valley Register harvest report noted more than one mention of the phrase