One of the Best Harvests in Years? California Vintners Think So
California vintners are celebrating the 2023 vintage as exceptional, following a late start to harvest. Plentiful winter rains revitalized the soils and encouraged healthy canopies while cooler temperatures across California in spring and summer allowed grapes to develop gradually, enjoying extra ripening time. Many California vintners predict that the 2023 vintage will be one of the finest in years, producing wines with beautiful flavors, vibrant acidity and remarkable balance.
Harvest began late throughout California, running anywhere from two weeks to a full month behind normal timing. Many varieties reached maturity simultaneously, leading to a compressed harvest. Some vintners expected to continue picking grapes into late November.
“The winter was unusually cold and wet, and we even got a rare 10 inches of snow,” says Christian Ahlmann, Vice President at Six Sigma Ranch in Lower Lake, Lake County. “The soil moisture was restored while the vines were dormant, and they loved every minute of it when they woke up in spring.”
Despite the later start to harvest, Ahlmann says he was confident that the grapes would reach full maturity before the start of the rainy season. Best of all, he added, quality looks excellent — especially for Tempranillo and Syrah. “We feel great about vintage 2023,” he adds.
For Renée Ary, Vice President of winemaking at Duckhorn Vineyards, patience was key this year with grapes from Napa and Sonoma. “This is one of the coolest and latest vintages I’ve seen in the last two decades,” she says. “The rain was much needed and helped replenish the reservoirs and nourish the vines.”
The precipitation also brought extra canopy growth and led to 5% to 15% higher yields for most varieties. “The viticulture teams were diligent in thinning and doing crop adjustments where necessary,” she said. “This was key to achieving a balanced crop and promoting ripening in a very late year.”
This year’s Sauvignon Blanc shows bright and clean character, Ary notes, and Merlot is displaying early flavor development, balanced sugars and bright acids. Hearty tannins and complex flavors are hallmarks of this year’s Cabernet Sauvignon. “Our 2023 reds reflect the cooler vintage,” she says. “The wines are elegant and pure, with balanced alcohols and precise flavors.”
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