Premiere Napa Valley 2024 and the 2022 Napa Vintage
Last week was the eagerly anticipated, 28th annual Premiere Napa Valley (PNV), a celebration of the best wines of our beloved Northern California valley. It’s one of the most vibrant weeks in the Napa Valley calendar year, particularly for those with a penchant for collectibles. As one may expect from the name, the event bears some similarities to Bordeaux's En Primeur (EP), but also some distinct differences, not just in the terminology of 'Primeur' versus 'Premiere.'
Like En Primeur, PNV is a wine trade event that primarily showcases one vintage that is yet to be bottled and released. Both PNV and EP are occasions of optimism, where our understanding of a vintage and its producer is used to predict the quality of a wine that will eventually reach our hands, often years later. While EP offers the opportunity to engage with a vintage before its release and make future purchase decisions, PNV combines this with an auction, the proceeds of which go to the Napa Valley Vintners Association—a prominent and historic group in the valley, that advocates for Napa Valley's land and communities.
Unlike EP, the bottles available at PNV are not regular releases from well-known names, but rather exclusive and sometimes imaginative bottlings designed to showcase the very best of Napa Valley and its stewards. NVP provides retailers and restaurants with the opportunity to make significant purchases of rare lots that will never be sold again. Exciting lots include a joint bottling between Heitz, Burgess, and Stony Hill Vineyards; a 1998 Reserve Late Disgorgement from Schramsberg Vineyards; and a unique barrel blend from Women Winemakers, which involves more than a dozen leading women in Napa Valley crafting a truly one-of-a-kind wine. These offerings extend beyond high-end Napa Valley collectibles to unique, rare bottles, each with its own story.
While the auction is a major event, PNV also gives the industry a chance to assess a vintage now that the wines have matured in barrels for approximately a year. The 2024 event mainly focused on the 2022 vintage, peppered with a few 2021s and 2023s. The 2022 vintage in Napa is a curious one, and is being referred to as "The Tale of Two Harvests." Some vintners began picking red grapes just before and during a record-breaking long September heatwave, while others, feeling prepared for extremes after 2017 and 2020, sought more ripeness and chose to weather the heatwave.
As a result, the 2022 vintage might almost be considered as two separate vintages, divided into pre- and post-heatwave fruit. Some believe the pre-heatwave fruit could lack depth and power, while the post-heatwave fruit could risk appearing overpowering or raisin-like. The most adept winemakers it seems opted to leave some fruit on the vine or continue picking throughout the heatwave, using techniques such as shade covers and misters in the vineyard and carefully sorting out potentially problematic berries. Some older vines, relying on their established deep roots and the cool August nights of the previous month, weathered the heat remarkably well, maintaining their sugar content rather than experiencing a sudden spike like one might expect. Ultimately, there was no universally correct response to the unprecedented challenge of a sustained triple-digit heatwave during harvest.
However, most of the white grapes were harvested before the heat, and 2022 is being acclaimed as an excellent year for white wines, which are vibrant, concentrated, and structured. Although most details about 2022 are being closely guarded, we expect a small, but high-quality batch of reds from the most skilled producers, and we look forward to hopefully being pleasantly surprised by many others.
For collectors, vintages like 2022 can offer an incredible opportunity to secure wines that may be underestimated by many. With the golden child vintage of 2023 to follow, some might opt to hold out for the 2023 releases, potentially leaving excellent 2022s available at (hopefully) reasonable prices. There will undoubtedly be some gems to discover, both for immediate enjoyment and for classic aging profiles. However, purchasing with a thorough understanding of what was required to produce a high-quality wine is crucial in vintages like 2022.
While we wait for the reds to be released, there are some excellent whites in stock. These are each super ageworthy and would be even better after a slumber in your cellar.
2022 Realm "Fidelio - Farella Vineyard" Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc $129.95 94DC
2022 Lail "Blueprint" Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc $59.95 95WE
2022 Arietta "On The White Keys" Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc - Sémillon $74.95 96JS 94JD
2022 Matthiasson "Linda Vista Vineyard" Napa Valley Chardonnay $39.95
Stay tuned for our reports on the reds!