1993 Napa Valley

After plentiful, much-needed winter rains, the spring of 1993 continued to bring cloudy/wet weather for much of Napa Valley, disrupting the flowering and ultimately setting a smaller-than-average crop. Budbreak was later than usual, and the vintage tracked late throughout June and July. However, August heatwaves during and post-veraison sped the ripening up. For earlier ripening sites, the harvest of Bordeaux varieties began just as the weather cooled from mid-September. But by this time, the sunny weather and the vines were finished. Later ripening sites struggled to achieve full ripeness this year, especially those still plagued by phylloxera. In short, the quality of the 1993 Napa Cabernets is a mixed bag, and most are well past their best today.