Jonathan Cristaldi

1 week ago | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

The 2022 vintage from Howell Mountain delivered wines that reflect the AVA’s signature power, structure and high-altitude freshness, yet with a notable degree of elegance and accessibility, despite the challenges of the vintage. These included the significant heat dome that settled over Napa for a week from Labor Day on – many wines benefited from the higher elevation above the fog line.

1 week ago | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

The 2022 vintage in Oak Knoll District demonstrates why this AVA is one of Napa’s most versatile and exciting sources for Cabernet Sauvignon. The region’s cooler climate and alluvial soils helped preserve balance and energy, ensuring freshness despite the heat.

1 week ago | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

In 2022, Calistoga’s wines reflect the AVA’s characteristic warmth, intensified by the extreme heat dome that defined the vintage. However, despite the challenges, consumers should look for names like J. Davies, Arkenstone, Perliss and Venge. These producers harvested grapes from sites in the northern end of Calistoga, where there’s a cool wind corridor. Their wines achieved balance, maintaining freshness and structure, while showcasing the appellation’s hallmark boldness.

1 week ago | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

Many wines from 2022 are ready to enjoy sooner than usual, thanks to silky tannins, generous fruit and plush textures. Unlike more structured vintages like 2021, 2019, 2018 and 2016, which demand years of cellaring, 2022 delivers immediate pleasure, while still offering the potential for medium-term ageing. It’s a vintage defined by plush fruit, soft tannins and upfront drinkability.

1 week ago | decanter.com | Jonathan Cristaldi

Known for its ageability, Napa’s Cabernet Sauvignon is typically a wine to lay down for years. In the heat affected 2022 vintage, you’ll find wines of warmth and generosity that won’t need time to come into their own, Jonathan Cristaldi offers a guide on wines to open now, what to sit on for a year or two and which wines produced in this hot year are built for the long haul.