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‘I’m stuffing as many 2021s in my personal cellar as I can make room for, even after tasting well over 500 Cabernets.’
In addition to accessing the full vintage report from the September print issue of Decanter, Premium readers will receive special appellation reports from 11 of Napa’s top Cabernet-producing sub-AVAs, highlighting the vintage conditions and best-performing wines in each.
The reports will be posted to Premium throughout September and announced in our US newsletter each week. (You can subscribe to the newsletter here.)
The full suite of Napa coverage includes score charts of the top 100 wines of the vintage, a special report on the top-value 2021 Cabernets, and access to all 500+ scores and reviews.
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Scroll down for a sneak peek at tasting notes and scores from the Napa 2021 Vintage Report.
Napa vines. Credit: Clive Pursehouse
An outright classic
While the 2023 vintage is described in Napa as the ‘vintage of a lifetime,’ the wines currently in the market are from 2021, a classic in its own right.
Following a very destructive 2020 when wildfires ravaged the valley, the 2021 vintage was a welcome respite and a somewhat cooler year overall. The one-line summary given by the Napa Valley Vintners to describe the 2021 growing season was: ‘The joy is back.’
While very little rain fell in the winter and spring of 2021, the nights remained cool throughout the summer. Most importantly, daytime temperatures were steady, with no heat spikes creating issues with ripening or flavour development.
The resulting grapes were small in size and concentrated in flavour. Owing to the drought conditions, yields were naturally lower. Cristaldi has found excellent wines, particularly for those who love the mineral, woodland, and spice characteristics often found in well-balanced Cabernet Sauvignon.
Speaking to Cristaldi from his home north of the San Francisco Bay, I got a real sense of his excitement about the 2021 Cabernets.
‘I’m stuffing as many 2021s in my personal cellar as I can make room for, even after tasting well over 500 Cabernets,’ Cristaldi said.
‘What’s most exciting about the 2021 Napa Cabernets is the real consistency in style across the board. They are super savoury and have taken beautifully to a host of oak-ageing regimens. They show bright fruit with dried herb aromatics shining through on the nose and ultra-fine tannins balanced by a depth of fruit on the palate.’
The Somerston estate in Napa Valley. Credit: Clive Pursehouse
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The best of all worlds
‘Thinking about the 2021 Napa Cabernets in the context of the last few vintages, you’d be hard-pressed to find bottles that aren’t fabulous at the pull of the cork,’ he added.
‘Those who made 2020 Cabernets did so knowing the risks that the growing season imparted to the wines. There’s no getting around the angular tannin quality and darkness of the wines brought on by the heavier use of oak.
‘By contrast, the 2021 vintage delivered a smaller crop with a much higher skin-to-pulp ratio than in 2019 or 2018. And more judicious use of oak by winemakers across the board means the wines have the depth of fruit and tannin structure to age while remaining fairly light on their feet.
‘These 2021s are like a multi-vintage blend of 2013, 2016, and 2019. They bear the structure of 2013, the freshness of 2016, and the dark-fruited character of 2019, but they are incredibly savoury.’
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