2018 Napa Valley –
First Impressions…

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | JULY 31, 2019After a tumultuous, hugely stressful 2017, Napa Valley
winemakers and owners welcomed an essentially trouble-free growing season in
2018. As I have done for many years, this past spring I tasted the new vintage
from barrel to get a first look at the wines ahead of my fall tastings. Based
on what I have seen so far 2018 looks like a strong vintage, although there
were some challenges, as well,&nbsp;especially in August and throughout harvest. Readers
should note that, because the wines are in such an embryonic stage, this
article does not include reviews for specific wines.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1564608903575-VHR_copy.jpg"> 

Tasting the 2018s, block by block, at VHR – Vine Hill
Ranch.

One of the things I enjoy most about tasting young Napa
Valley Cabernets in the spring after harvest is that in most cases the wines
have not been blended (or even racked) at all, which provides an incredible
opportunity to see the wines in a very pure state, almost always straight from
barrel. Of the producers I tasted (a full list is below), only Harlan and
Promontory had created blends, which is unusually early for both, while Kapcsándy
presented working base blends, typical for them at this time of year.

Based on what I have tasted so far, 2018 is shaping up to be
a year with mid-weight structure, along the lines of 2012, but with the darker
tonalities of fruit found in years like 2014. Alcohols and tannins are lower
than the norm across the board. It is a vintage with a tremendous capacity to
express precision, something I saw at Screaming Eagle, where a tasting of
numerous blocks on the property showed just how nuanced these wines can be and
how complex the estate is as a whole.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1564608934717-Harlan+Estate_copy.jpg"> 

Tasting component wines at Harlan Estate.

But 2018 is also a vintage with its own set of challenges.
Yields were naturally very high. How yields were managed will likely prove to
be major criteria in determining where wines ultimately end up in terms of
quality. Big yields put added stress on vineyard crews and winemakers, as
dealing with large quantities of fruit can create logistical and space headaches.
As an example, in 2018 the wines extracted very slowly. That was an issue,
especially in custom crush facilities where tank space is assigned with a time
limit because the tanks need to be turned over for other clients. Another
trouble spot is the higher-altitude slopes of Howell Mountain, which were in
some cases affected by smoke taint in mid-August, during veraison. I was in the
area then with my son, and I remember seeing the hazy skies from St. Helena.
For now, fire and smoke taint seem to be limited to just some spots in Howell
Mountain, but there is no denying that some wines are affected.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1564609127353-Blankiet_copy.jpg"> This survey of key blocks at Blankiet was one of the most
educational tastings of my May visit.

"It was a cool year, with long hang time,” Thomas Rivers
Brown explained as we tasted through a large number of the wines he makes for both
consulting clients and his own labels. “Winter was cold, and we don’t
inoculate, so the malolactic fermentations took a long time to finish.”
Philippe Melka had a similar take. “The fruit was very clean. As a result we
did more native ferments than is often the case. We observed wines with deep color, high anthocyanins
and lower tannins than in most years. We also extended macerations a bit longer
than usual."<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1564609137410-Kapcsandy+d+not+crop_copy.jpg"> The 2018s at Kapcsándy are very promising at this early
stage.

It is hard to narrow down favorites at this stage,
especially as the estates I visited are all comfortably part of Napa Valley’s
elite, and the wines I tasted are likely to all be among the highlights of the
year. Even so, a few visits in particular stood out. Kapcsándy was one of
those. The Kapcsándy base-blend 2018s were impressive, especially the Rapszodia
(Cabernet Franc), which was really popping with energy and vibrancy when I
tasted it. “We had good winter rain. As you know, the potential size of the
crop is determined during the flowering of the preceding year. In 2017, we had
optimal conditions during flowering, and then in 2018 we had very favorable
weather during set. In terms of weather, it was a very moderate year. We only
had one day over 90° in September. It was a rare year
in which phenolics developed early, but sugars lagged. The balance of
phenolics, sugars and acid we are looking for really only came together at the
end.”<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1564609060102-Dalle+Valle_copy.jpg"> 

Tasting the main component wines at Dalla Valle.

Dalle Valle was another highlight. The 2018s are stunningly
pure, with tremendous freshness and aromatic intensity. “Harvest started on
September 22 and lasted the entire month, whereas in most years we pick
everything in two weeks. Just as importantly, we had no heat events during that
time,” longtime consulting winemaker Andy Erickson detailed. Graeme MacDonald
echoed a similar theme during a fascinating block-by-block tasting at Blankiet,
where the 2018s are immensely promising. “We harvested over 30 days, as opposed
to the 16-18 that are more typical here.”

I will taste the 2018s again this coming fall. By then, most
estates will have assembled at least working base blends, and the potential of
the vintage will be easier to see. For now, 2018 is a vintage of gorgeous,
super-refined Napa Valley Cabernets that are quite a bit more understated than
what we have seen in recent years.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1564609073207-Atelier+Melka+2_copy.jpg"> 

This tasting at Atelier Melka provided great insight into
a large number of 2018s.

Wineries tasted for this report: Abreu, Accendo, Bella Oaks,
Blankiet, Bond, Bryant, Alejandro Bulgheroni, Casa Piena, Caterwaul, Colgin, DMVH,
Fairchild, Gandona, Gemstone, The Grade, Harlan Estate, Heritage School, Jones,
Kapcsándy, Kinsella, Kinsman, Lail, Melka, Mending Wall, Moone-Tsai, Outpost,
Pine Mountain, Promontory, Pulido-Walker, Rivers Marie, Round Pond, Quixote, Screaming
Eagle, Seaver, Seavey, Selah, Stone the Crows, Philip Togni, VHR – Vine Hill
Ranch, Wallis, as well as several new, as yet unnamed projects.You Might Also Enjoy <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/cellar-favorite-abreu-the-2009s-revisited-jun-2019">Abreu – The 2009s Revisited</a>, Antonio Galloni, June 2019<a target="_blank" href="https://www.vinous.com/articles/the-art-of-the-blend-jan-2019">The Art of the Blend</a>, Antonio Galloni, January 2019 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/napa-valley-s-extraordinary-2016-cabernet-sauvignons-dec-2018">Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernet Sauvignons</a>, Antonio Galloni, December 2018 <div><a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/sonoma-napa-valley-supplement-2018-jul-2018">Sonoma &amp; Napa Valley Supplement 2018</a>, Antonio Galloni, July 2018<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/2017-napa-valley-first-impressions-jun-2018">2017 Napa Valley – First Impressions</a>, Antonio Galloni, June 2018<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/brilliance-in-napa-valley-the-2016-2015-cabernets-jan-2018">Brilliance in Napa Valley: The 2016 &amp; 2015 Cabernets</a>, Antonio Galloni, January 2018</div>

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