1997 Napa Valley

1997 was a much-lauded vintage for Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, producing an abundant crop of concentrated, powerful wines. The season tracked early from the get-go. After an early budbreak, the vines shot into action. Smooth, even flowering and fruit set established a large crop. Crop thinning would, therefore, be one of the keys to the heights of success this year. May through September were consistently warm, dry, and sunny, with just a couple of heat spikes taking temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It was an early harvest, with most of the Cabernet Sauvignon in by the end of September. 

The apparent ease of the growing season was the trap that less successful winemakers fell into. Yields were potentially too high for what the vines could ripen, so vigilance with crop thinning and careful canopy management was essential to producing truly great, age-worthy Cabernets.