Sonoma County: 2021 vintage report

By all accounts, 2021 was an extraordinary vintage across the Sonoma appellations, yielding wines with depth, power, concentration and excellent acid retention, perfect for long-lived ageing and a distinct sense of place. It is a collector’s vintage.

Both red and white wines fared almost equally well, but many winemakers tout the reds – across all varieties – as the wines to watch, commenting that they will be exceptionally long-lived due to their tannin structure.

Winemakers are at the mercy of Mother Nature, with every vintage telling a complete story of what meteorological phenomenon occurred during the year. As 2020 was a devastating vintage for many parts of Northern California – Sonoma included – 2021 was a welcome reprieve from the challenges of past years.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top 2021 Sonoma County wines.

A resounding rebound

Due to smoke taint, many producers decided to forego 2020 as a vintage altogether. Estimates suggest that grape harvest decreased by about 14%.

But 2021 was a dream. We often talk about fabulous vintages in specific grape varieties or certain areas of a particular region. Everything thrived in Sonoma County in 2021: all appellations and all varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, and everything in between.

Overall, the growing season and harvest were remarkably uneventful, which is what winemakers and vineyard managers hope for each year.

This was still the third drought year in a row for the region. Yet, despite little winter rainfall and dry conditions, even daytime temperatures and cool evenings ensured even ripening and significant acid development.

Sonoma County 2021: J’nai’s top red wines of the vintage

Kosta Browne, Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

Wayfarer, Mother Rock Pinot Noir, Fort Ross- Seaview, Sonoma Coast

Macrostie, Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

T Berkley Wines, Ophelia Cabernet Franc Sonoma County

Sonoma County 2021: J’nai’s top white wines of the vintage

Kosta Browne, Diablo Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

Hartford Court, Stone Côte Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast

Radio-Coteau, Estate Riesling, Sonoma Coast

Kistler, Trenton Roadhouse Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

Weather takes all

‘It has been near perfect for growing grapes this year, and a second year of a lighter crop is bringing more balance to the market, which is encouraging,’ said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers and executive director of Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation, in a press release.

Save for a tiny frost event early in the season in the Russian River Valley, the weather in Sonoma County in 2021 was remarkably cooperative.

Ripening times varied of course. The county’s warmer areas ripened slightly earlier than normal because of the lower yields, while cooler areas ripened as expected since there were no hindrances to the grapes’ maturation.

Due to the uneventful season, winemakers across the AVA had their choice of picking date.

A stellar vintage, but not without challenges

On a case by case basis, however, there were still challenges to overcome – such as the aforementioned drought.

‘The 2021 vintage was a great year, though not without its challenges,’ says Justin Seidenfeld, winemaker for Rodney Strong Vineyards. ‘This was mainly because it was a drought year, which caused an early start to the growing season.

‘This led to an early start for harvest, which, for us, began on August 11. That is more than a month earlier than 2023. The early start led to a pretty small crop, which led to faster-than-normal ripening. That said, the small crop led to an intense concentration of flavours and textures.’

Drought

Drought conditions in California are an ever-present threat to the state’s viticulture. During prolonged drought periods, hydric stress can retard shoot growth, which can then adversely affect crop yields.

This is why dry-farming has become such a hot topic in areas affected by low rainfall.

The theory is that when surface water isn’t readily available, the vines struggle, but they also produce their best fruit – intensely flavoured with good tannin structure due to the thicker skins that the grapes develop at this stage.

And if vines are really thirsty for a drink, their roots will dig well below the topsoil to find groundwater. In essence, dry-farming is an enforced drought. However, prolonged periods of drought coupled with a warming climate can still be problematic, weakening the vine through stress if once even the groundwater is used up.

‘Rains came through frequently, but only enough to rehydrate the soils,’ says Tom Gendall, VP of the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance Board of Directors.

‘They would fill the soils, and then a week of cool winds would dry the topsoil, allowing it to be refilled by the next small squall of rain.

‘Many farmers rely on rainwater overflow from seasonal streams to fill reservoirs, and many reservoirs went unfilled and were basically empty entering the 2021 growing season.’

Gendall continues: ‘The season was warm to hot, the soil dried out quickly. If you had good access to water, it was a wonderful growing season. If you had limited access to water, this resulted in stunted canopies, very diminished crops and strange ripening patterns.’

See tasting notes and scores for all 2021 Sonoma County wines Decanter has tasted here

Lower Yields

The dearth of water directly affected crop vigour and yield. In this third drought year, winemakers reported crops that were 5-30% lower than average. From a quality standpoint, this is often a boon, as lower yields means the formation of smaller berries, which create more concentrated fruit flavours.

But from an economic standpoint, the picture isn’t as rosy as it means there’s less wine to sell.

Some winemakers have even had to release library selections earlier than they would have liked to compensate for the lack of wine on offer. But scarcity, in its turn, creates demand.

Sonoma County vintage ratings

2021 5/5

The 2020 season made the 2021 vintage feel like a welcome return to normality. Both growers and winemakers were rewarded with a vintage of outstanding quality and low to healthy yields, depending on the sub-appellation. The wines tend to have great concentration and smaller berries yet sufficient yields. They offer freshness, brilliant fruit, characteristic salinity, and a noble, savoury character. The 2021 vintage also awarded the wines an abundance of structure, granting them superb ageability.

2020 2/5

A picture-perfect vintage was all but destroyed by wildfire smoke from the high-pressure and wind events that saw the LNU Complex Fires and the Glass Fire start in September and into October. The fires were highly destructive, destroying homes, forest land, and the wines that were growing there. Many Sonoma wineries did not produce red wines in 2020; those that did saw varied impacts from smoke taint. Some Chardonnays presented a lone bright spot for most producers.

2019 4.5/5

2019 brought a warm, consistent summer with few heat spikes. The region’s signature morning fog allowed fruit to preserve its acid and aromatic flavours. A long growing season allowed for a leisurely harvest. A wonderful vintage across varieties, sub-regions and price ranges.

Riding the wave

Despite the continued hurdles facing winemakers across California, Sonoma’s winemakers and viticulturists took the challenges of 2021 in their stride to produce some outstanding wines.

‘Both red and white wines turned out beautifully, but I think the Pinot Noirs of 2021 are the true standout,’ says Theresa Heredia, winemaker for Gary Farrell Winery.

‘They are simply outstanding. The quality was definitely atypical, and most feel that 2021 produced some of the best wines in over a decade.

‘Compared to the previous three to four vintages, the wines from 2021 have substance and power. Yet, they still possess a beautiful finesse that one would expect from Sonoma’s Russian River Valley.’

A selection of wines from Sonoma’s 2021 vintage

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