When one Napa winemaker offered his thoughts to me on the 2015 vintage for reds recently, he couldn’t have been clearer: “We don’t want to make the biggest and baddest glass of red wine anymore. We want balance.”
Hallelujah! I must admit that I was terrified this year tasting 2015 reds from California’s Napa Valley. I was sure that I would find many powerful, alcoholic and jammy wines due to the reduced grape crops and a hot growing season. But it didn’t happen that often in our tasting of more than 380 reds from the vintage.
Selection from Kata (Kata Napa Valley Beckstoffer Bourn Vineyard
Sure, some winemakers in California’s premier wine region still follow the mantra that more is better in winemaking and they produce full-throttle reds that overwhelm your palate — and 2015 was a perfect vintage for them. (I think the hot and dry 2017 could prove similar if growers aren’t careful in their grape sorting, not to mention possible smoke taint.)
But many Napa wine producers seem to be looking for balance and freshness, even some of the old hardliners of bold reds. “I compare 2015 to 2013,” said Jean Hoefliger, head winemaker of Alpha Omega. “Some people went too far in 2013 and 2015. Sometimes the wines lack finesse and balance compared to the 2014 and 2012. But you could make fresh and balanced wines in 2015.”
Indeed, the 2015 vintage sets apart the most capable winemakers, who were able to make balanced and fresh if rich reds. They made the right decisions in the vineyards from canopy management to picking times as well as in the cellar with selections of the best grapes and care in not pushing fermentations or macerations. They made very attractive wines. And this holds true whether for cabernet, merlot, pinot noir or a blend of some sort.
Cellar of Spottswoode with Aron Weinkauf
“People are cognizant of making balanced wines and it was all about that in 2015,” said Aron Weinkauf, winemaker of Spottswoode. “Picking earlier was key…. The 2015 has more structure than 2012 but not as much as 2013. I like to think of 2015 making wines with the balance of 2012 and 2013 together.”
That’s not a bad comparison. The best wines I tasted certainly have structure and depth although not the tannic backbone or form of the great 2013s. Overall, I would put 2015 behind 2013, 2014 and 2012, but those three vintages are an exceptional trilogy.
The 2015 is clearly an outstanding year but a very fruit-forward one. If you are missing some of the flamboyance of Napa reds from the early 2000s you are going to love many of the wines. However, if you are into the new classicism of recent vintages in the run up to 2015, I would definitely be selective. There are some real gems out there but some jammy monsters, too.
Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Mt. Veeder 2014 and Chardonnay 2015.
“We are really happy with 2015,” said Jimmy Hayes, estate director of Mayacamas. “It is one for aging for a long time. This is only our second vintage after buying in the property, but we are very happy with the results. We were more aggressive in harvesting earlier, and we were happy to lower the new oak to almost zero.”
Try a few of my top-ranked reds and see for yourself. I think you might be surprised. Napa winemakers seem to better know how to dial in the harmony and balance in their reds even in hot and dry vintages, which is good news as the trend for more years in line with 2015 seems to continue. I look forward to tasting more 2015s in February.
This report also includes more than 240 tasting notes from the gloriously balanced and beautiful 2014 vintage. I love this vintage and will always wonder if it is actually better than the highly revered 2013 vintage. Time will tell. Check out an earlier report on the vintage. A handful of wines from 2013 and 2012 were also rated.
(Many of the wines in this tasting were jet-freighted by Cathay Pacific to our office in Hong Kong for tasting after I evacuated my house in St. Helena during the fires in October. It was a scary moment for my family and many friends. God bless the police, firefighters, military personnel, and everyone else for their dedication and diligence in extinguishing the fires.)
– James Suckling, Editor/CEO
