Napa Cabernet 2022: Vintage report and buyer’s guide

A cool growing season followed by an unprecedented harvest-time heatwave and unexpected rain have resulted in an early-drinking vintage of rich, fruit-driven wines, many with immediate appeal.

The variation in quality and ageability across all price points will make careful selection essential for both collectors and enthusiasts.

Our Napa correspondent presents a selection of 28 excellent wines from the more than 600 he tasted, many with very high scores.

To read all coverage of the Napa Cabernet 2022 vintage use the code NAPA22 for a 20% discount off an annual Premium subscription

Napa Cabernet 2022 vintage rating: 3/5

The 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons offer a varied representation of quality across all price points, making careful selection essential for both collectors and enthusiasts.

The wines are ripe, red-fruited and fruit-forward, with supple tannins that make them smooth, approachable and best enjoyed within a decade while the 2021, 2019 and 2018 Cabs continue to cellar.

A vintage tailor-made for the impatient

Readers looking for easygoing, approachable reds will find plenty to love in the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon releases from Napa Valley. Early reports from tasting rooms confirm their broad consumer appeal.

Compared to more structured, long-ageing vintages such as 2021 or 2019, the 2022s are approachable, plush and opulent.

Tannin structure varies, with some wines showcasing excellent granular grip and ageing potential while others exhibit a smoother, more fruit-driven profile that leans toward early drinking.

The 2022 Napa Cabs are predominantly fruit-forward, with red-toned fruit, sweet spices, sandalwood, supple tannins and slightly elevated alcohol.

However, a small subset – mainly from cooler valley-floor sites and mountain appellations – lean toward black-toned fruit, savoury spices, balanced alcohol and more robust tannins.

Blended wines incorporating Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot often offer freshness and refinement to counterbalance the heat of the vintage.

The wines have evolved markedly since their awkward, unformed stage when first presented in February 2024 at the Premiere Napa Valley trade event (see May 2024 issue report).

‘The colours stabilised and barrel age added more structure,’ says consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown (pictured, below). ‘They shifted from medium to medium-plus weight. They are definitely drinkers.’

Napa Valley’s 2022 vintage at a glance

Their immediate and suave style makes many of these wines a pleasure to drink upon release.

Those seeking ageworthy bottles should focus on the upper tier of my score range and consult the detail of the tasting notes closely.

While time will ultimately reveal the full ageing potential, at present these wines appear to be structured for a drinking window of around 10 years, though a few standouts will undoubtedly surprise.

Under the heat dome

Most of the wines are unfussy, juicy and built for short- to mid-term enjoyment.

Yet the vintage was initially shaped by three preceding years of spring drought conditions, low fruit set and a cool growing season – until, according to a California Department of Public Health report, an intense 10-day heatwave from 31 August to 9 September brought record-breaking temperatures (up to almost 49°C, in places).

This was ended in unexpected fashion, however, as tropical storm Kay brought late-season rains from the 9th, shifting the course of the vintage entirely – fears of raisining at that point suddenly turned to fears of mould pressures.

‘If you look before the heatwave,’ says Lithology winemaker Matt Sands, ‘it was a great growing season – healthy canopies, excellent fruit set and well-sized berries.’

But the heat came and panic set in.

Every site in the valley required a unique approach predicated on winter pruning, soil drainage, water availability, irrigation methods and individual site nuances.

‘It’s going to be difficult to paint the vintage with a broad brush,’ observes consulting winemaker Celia Welch, who adds that winemakers and growers faced ‘excruciating pressure’ from owners seeing others pick – often prematurely.

‘You had to make quick decisions,’ says consultant Philippe Melka. Stephanie Putnam, vice president of winemaking at Raymond Vineyards in St Helena, where Melka consults, notes: ‘Picking was all over the place.’

Michael Costley, winemaker for Signorello Estate, observes: ‘The top vineyards – the A+ sites – bounced back and kept ripening, while lower-quality ones mostly shut down.’

In such a year, he advises, ‘it’s better to avoid green flavours, allow some grape desiccation and be highly selective – maybe even pick in stages before the main harvest’.

Important choices

Some vintners compare 2022 to 2015, including Julian Fayard, who noted the wines have ‘more density and freshness’ than 2015, a vintage marked by prolonged heat.

Despite the intensity of the heat in 2022, the acids held, ‘but the profile is sweeter, with greater tannin concentration than in 2015’.

Meanwhile, Luc Morlet, whose Coeur de Vallée wine has been released on La Place de Bordeaux, compares 2022 to 2012, citing its supple tannins and concentrated fruit.

Jeff Cole, winemaker for Sullivan Rutherford Estate, noted that optical sorting was essential for any fruit he harvested during the heatwave. With most fruit in before the heat, Cole’s wines have density and a standout structure.

Consultant winemaker Jean Hoefliger calls 2022 ‘perhaps the greatest surprise of my career’. His wines showed a deft hand, offering intensity of flavours and balanced elegance.

‘I overwatered to the point of insanity before the heat dome settled,’ he explains, ‘and we had no dehydration.’

Pahlmeyer winemaker Katie Vogt (pictured, below) reflects on grower relations. ‘We had to make tough picking decisions to ensure the character and intensity we were looking for.’

On the reds, she adds: ‘As the fresh red fruit settles, there’s a surprising savoury earthiness emerging, giving me optimism for ageing potential.’

During the extreme Labor Day heatwave, desiccation and shrivel were minimal on Pritchard Hill, where vineyards above 245m are typically 4°-5°C cooler than the valley floor.

‘Budbreak and bloom are later, but warm nights help the vines catch up,’ says Allison Tauziet of Colgin Cellars, who harvested most fruit on 6-8 September. ‘I’d never seen flavours move so fast,’ she said of their valley floor vineyards.

Further north, at Arkenstone on Howell Mountain, above 420m, grapes are fully exposed to the sun and the harvest is typically weeks ahead of the valley floor.

‘I asked if the wine would be better after the heat dome and chose to pick most before it hit,’ says winemaker Sam Kaplan, who usually harvests early, ‘finishing the rest during and after.’

Multiple narratives

The 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet vintage underscores a fundamental truth: in this climate changed world, there is no new normal. The year demanded adaptability, as location, access to water and precise timing dictated success.

While some winemakers likened the vintage to past years, comparing it to 2012 or 2015, the diversity of results suggests no single narrative applies.

Ultimately, the vintage reinforced the importance of pre-planning, precision farming and the ability to pivot under pressure.

The best wines of 2022 will come from those who anticipated the worst, hoped for the best, and made crucial decisions in real time.

Wines of the vintage

Harbison Estate Horseshoe Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville)

Arrow&Branch Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville)

FUTO Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Oakville)

Stony Hill Côte Rouge Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Spring Mountain)

Pott Wine Her Majesty’s Secret Service Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Matthiasson Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Louis M. Martini Mount Veeder Napa Valley

Colgin Cellars IX Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Cliff Lede Songbook Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Acumen PEAK Edcora Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, Atlas Peak

Grace Family Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (St Helena)

Cristaldi’s Cabernet highlights from the Napa 2022 vintage

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