2015 Bettina

Two thousand fifteen represents a small detour on the path Bettina Bryant and winemaker Mark Gagnon have here charted in recent years. Freakishly low yields and the hot, early-ripening vintage mark these wines to a considerable degree. Gagnon adds that yields were not as heavily impacted at the estate vineyard as they were elsewhere. That may explain why the estate Cabernet is the strongest wine in the range, both in absolute and relative terms. The 2016s I tasted from barrel suggest a return to a style first adopted here in 2014 that seeks a bit more freshness and overall energy than in the past.

Winemaker Marc Gagnon arrived at Bryant from Screaming Eagle in June 2014 and made an immediate impact. Gagnon describes 2014 as a year with a long growing season that started early and ended early. Perhaps more importantly, there were no heat spikes, which gave Gagnon the opportunity to pick each block at his choosing. Among other things, Gagnon sought freshness in 2014, clearly relying on the approach he learned at Screaming Eagle, and also lowered the use of new oak slightly. I remember tasting the 2014s from barrel that fall. The wines were striking then. They are even more beautiful today. Winemaking often comes down to knowing when to do what. In 2014, Gagnon crushed it. The bottled 2014s are fresh, vibrant and full of intensity. These are extraordinary wines. It's as simple as that. Two thousand fifteen was a much more complex vintage. Here, too, the wines are looking good. Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not mention the DB4, Bryant's second wine, which is one of the very best Napa Valley wines readers will find in its price range. The early Napa cult estates like Bryant sometimes take quite a bit of criticism for their high prices, which, is at times, frankly, justified. Bryant is one of just a few top-tier Napa Valley estates that also gives consumers a more affordable option to their flagship wines. Readers who have not tasted these wines in a number of years owe it to themselves to do so.