2022 Sonoma: A First LookBY ANTONIO GALLONI |&nbsp;JANUARY 16, 2024Pinot Noir leads the way in what is turning out to be a surprising set of new releases from Sonoma. The 2022 growing season was marked by several key events, most notably record-setting heat over Labor Day weekend. Not surprisingly, there is some variability, but there are also plenty of stunning wines that are well worth seeking out. This Preview covers new releases from Sonoma and neighboring regions. As is our custom for this article, we will post frequent updates in the coming weeks, which we feel is the best way to keep readers current, given the sheer volume of wines released this time of year.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1705419428686-Sonoma+Preview+Cover+-+Limerick+Lane.jpg">Old-vine Zinfandel planted in the early 1900s at Limerick
Lane.Cutting to the Chase Based on what I have tasted so far, Pinot Noir is the real surprise of this vintage. The wines are aromatic, deep and exceptionally well-balanced, with terrific fruit purity and plenty of site character. In some cases, the 2022s surpass the 2021s, most notably where accumulated stress from drought was penalizing to the 2021s. Overall, the 2022 Pinots benefitted from healthy canopies and enough availability of water such that they were able to withstand the intense Labor Day heat spikes.Chardonnay is much more variable. The wines are generally light in structure. Many show elements of dilution and/or flavors that are not fully developed. Vineyard signatures are not as defined as they are in more important vintages. The combined effects of two heat events were too much for many wines. There are notable exceptions where producers benefitted from more favorable conditions and/or were especially selective with what they bottled.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1705602309804-Ted+Lemon_Sonoma2024.jpg">Ted Lemon presented a stellar set of wines at Littorai
encompassing the 2021 and 2022 vintages. Zinfandel and Zinfandel-based field blends are lighter than
their 2021 counterparts. The wines show a good bit of freshness and mid-weight
structures but with less depth, complexity and textural richness than the
norm. These attributes suggest uneven ripening caused by the ups and downs of
the growing season, as detailed below.Most Syrahs and Bordeaux blends have not been bottled yet,
so I have not tasted enough wines to have a view as to what the vintage holds.<a target="_blank" href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1705602376554-Platt_Occidental_Phelps_Senses_960x540-01.jpg"><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1705602355723-Platt_Occidental_Phelps_Senses_960x540-01_copy.jpg"></a>Sonoma is home to many notable districts, such as this
sector of the West Sonoma Coast, where many top sites lie in close proximity to
each other.The 2022 Growing Season The 2022 growing season is fascinating for many reasons, not
the least of which are several events in 2021 that played an important role in
shaping the wines. These episodes are a reminder the vine is a living organism
with a continuous life cycle. The new year does not begin with January 1 but is
rather the result of accumulated events over long periods of time.Generous rains during late 2021 and the first part of 2022
were beneficial. Warm temperatures in January and February resulted in early
bud break. Storms in April were pivotal in creating good reserves of water. In
2021, many vineyards ran out of water and canopies were stunted. It was the
exact opposite in 2022. “Our water budget was revised upwards throughout the
year. We used every drop,” Stephen Hansel told me as he explained how water is
regulated by the county during the growing season. Canopies were healthy, far
healthier than in 2021.Accumulated stress in 2021 meant the vines went into 2022
already set up for a low crop. Severe spring frost in 2022 further lowered
potential production. Bad weather during flowering resulted in a high incidence
of shatter, again lowering potential yields. Some producers reported a further
loss of crop over the Labor Day heat spike. Yields are down significantly, as
much as 40-50% for some wineries. “Basically, everyone we sell fruit to get
half of what they wanted,” Lee Martinelli Sr. told me, echoing comments I heard
pretty much everywhere.Overall, though, 2020 was a mostly cool vintage.
Temperatures remained moderate throughout most of the summer. “It was a really
cool summer, and then it got very hot,” Ted Lemon told me. “Peak temperatures
were higher than 2017, but the canopies were in better shape, so we had
virtually no sunburn. At The Haven, we only had two days above 90 until
September 1.”Mid-August brought a first heat event. Much more severe heat
arrived over Labor Day weekend, when temperatures soared to oppressive,
record-level highs, as much as 120°F in some sites. These are temperatures that
significantly exceeded anything seen in the past. As extreme as the heat was,
the “heat dome” was not as severe or sustained as it was further inland, most
notably in Napa Valley. “We had some elevated temperatures on August 18, but by
Labor Day, Pinot really wasn’t ripe out here yet. It was a cold year until
then,” Steve Kistler told me at Occidental. “For us, for where we were the heat
was too brief and too late to really affect anything,” Ted Lemon added. Still, scorching
temperatures created significant challenges. “We lost a good 20% of production
through dehydration on the vine.” Thomas Rivers Brown reported at Rivers-Marie.
Where fruit was&nbsp;close to ripe, it came off immediately, resulting in condensed
harvests at many wineries. “We picked all our fruit in ten days as opposed to
the more typical 20 or so.” Lee Martinelli Sr. added.On a more positive note, as high as temperatures were during
Labor Day, they were not as sustained or severe as they were in Napa Valley.
Vinifications seemed to be less stressed than what I saw in Napa, although the
threat of elevated volatile acidities required constant attention. In the worst
cases, a few wines were casualties of issues in the cellar. Some 2022s were not
bottled because of impractically small yields. In other cases, producers bulked
out unsatisfactory lots and only bottled their best wines. It’s a vintage in
which readers need to be selective. Many 2022s are richly deserving of
attention, while the best are truly exceptional.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1705602434925-Ross+Cobb_Sonoma+2024.jpg">Ross Cobb presented a magnificent set of 2021s that are
his finest wines ever.2021 Redux Last year, I wrote that “the 2021s
are both very high in quality and consistent across the board. It’s a vintage
full of stunning, compelling wines.” My
tastings this year only confirmed that view. Two-thousand twenty-one is an
exceptional vintage, a rare year in which all main varieties performed
brilliantly. The whites are especially superb compared to the more mixed 2022s.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1705602452399-Catherine+and+Steve+Kistler_Sonoma+2024.jpg">Catherine and Steve Kistler at their Occidental
winery.A Deeper Look at Sonoma I have written this before, but it bears repeating,
especially in challenging vintages. Sonoma County is a very large and diverse
region. That diversity is a huge plus in many ways. But also means Sonoma is
not identified with a single wine, like Napa Valley is with Cabernet Sauvignon.
Perhaps the complexity of Sonoma is one of the reasons the general public often
takes the view that the quality of the vintage in Sonoma is the same as it is
in Napa Valley. That’s a big mistake in most vintages, especially in 2022.Starting in the east, the rugged slopes of Moon Mountain
excel with Bordeaux varieties, then with Chardonnay and Syrah, which are less commonly found. The vineyards around Highway 12, in Sonoma Valley’s Central Corridor, are home
to numerous vineyards, including many field blends. Sonoma Mountain
and Bennett Valley are cool-climate regions. The Russian River Valley generally
produces boisterous Chardonnays and Pinots, except for its Green Valley and
Sebastopol Hills districts, which are cooler. Carneros is another cool and
windy pocket. The West Sonoma Coast features a wide range of districts, each of
them incredibly distinctive. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay star, but recent years have seen a
growth in Syrah and even Cabernet Sauvignon. Leaving aside very few instances,
it is next to impossible to generalize about vintages in Sonoma County&nbsp;because most years will offer plenty of exceptions to any broad view.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1705602544961-Rochiolis_Sonoma+2024.jpg">Tom Rochioli with his children, Rachel and Ryan, who are
taking on increasing responsibility at their family winery in the heart of the
Russian River Valley.Latest Trends This year I saw a marked increase in the number of sparkling wines and Cabernet Sauvignons producers showed. The fascination with sparkling wines
is obvious. Most wine people adore Champagne, so it is only natural for
producers in the cool regions within Sonoma County to try their hand at making
similar wines. I have mixed feelings, as I am not sure sparkling wines are the
best use of world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fruit. At the same time,
there is no denying the best examples are delicious.Cabernet Sauvignon is a different story. The simple reality
is that producers in Sonoma have found they can sell Cabernet Sauvignon more
easily and at higher prices than Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. That is true even
in the West Sonoma Coast, a region where Cabernet is only very sparsely
planted. The best Sonoma Cabernets offer a mix of dark varietal fruit along
with generous savory and mineral undertones. It’s a style of Cabernet I have
admired for a very long time. Even so, I hope Pinot and Chardonnay-centric
wineries do not lose their identities.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1705602496706-Sonoma+2024_bottle+shot.jpg">Some of the highlights of recent tastings. This report covers new releases from Sonoma and neighboring
regions. As is our custom for this article, we will post frequent updates in
the coming weeks and months, which we feel is the best way to keep readers
current, given the sheer volume of wines that are released this time of year.© 2024, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.<hr> You Might Also Enjoy<a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/sonoma-s-sensational-2021s-aug-2023">Sonoma’s Sensational 2021s</a>, Antonio Galloni, August 2023 <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/california-north-coast-eyes-wide-open-jan-2022">California North Coast: Eyes Wide Open</a>, Antonio Galloni, January 2022 <div><a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/sonoma-preview-2021-edition-jan-2021">Sonoma: 2021 New Releases</a>, Antonio Galloni, January 2021</div>

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