2000 Napa Valley

The year 2000 was neither an abundant nor a consistent vintage. Still, a few pleasant surprises can be found that herald a new era for Napa Valley in terms of its emerging impactful styles and pushing the power envelope even in lighter years.

The vintage started off with abundant winter rainfall. A mild spring set an average-sized crop. Summer brought a couple of freakish heat spikes—one in June and then again in September—yet the detrimental effects were minimal compared to what was to come. The real kicker was the 3.5 inches (88 mm) of rain that fell at the end of September and early October, just as the harvest was getting underway. Dilution is apparent in wines from many of the later ripening varieties/sites. Earlier ripening, free-draining, and hillside sites fared the best.