These words come to mind when I describe the growing season of 2024 and subsequent harvest. Napa Valley experienced one of the warmest growing seasons on record.

Following a late bud break, I was initially concerned about the potential of a late harvest. Aided by a smaller than normal crop, we had caught up to a normal schedule. It wasn’t the hottest summer, but our mean temperatures were about 3 degrees higher each day than normal during June, July, and August.

We started picking our Beckstoffer Carneros Lake Vineyard Chardonnay on September 13th. As I expected, the crop size was reduced but the fruit was flavorful and is promising to produce exceptional wines.

Then came the heat. For the following three weeks, we had an extended heat wave. Unfortunately, the beginning of the heat cost us the fruit that we would normally use to make the core of our Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon due to excessive dehydration. We picked the fruit for our Clone #30 Cabernet Sauvignon on September 20th which had the flavors and ripeness that I strive for and I am very excited about its progress.

Fortunately, the heat wave passed, and we were able to allow our Merlot fruit from Beckstoffer Las Amigas Vineyard to hang until peak maturity. Again, with a smaller than normal crop, the resulting wine is very concentrated and is perhaps the best vintage of Merlot yet.

The weather patterns have very slowly progressed to a warmer spring and summer than we experienced even ten years ago and certainly when I first started making wine in the 1980s. This has resulted in slightly small crops that ripen sooner than they used to. I beg the question, is this climate change, global warming, or is this just an anomaly?