Beaulieu Vineyard 2022 Harvest

Growing Season

The season started with below-average rainfall, extending California’s drought conditions for a third year. However, a few large rainfall events filled reservoirs in Napa and Sonoma, improving early growing conditions substantially from 2021. For the first time in several years, frost occurred at the beginning of the growing season, but vineyards were largely protected in coastal regions. Temperatures for the growing season through the start of harvest were moderate, ensuring good canopies and early ripening conditions across California.

Harvest

The first half of the 2022 harvest started calm and early, with healthy vineyards offering fruit with bright acidity, fruit-forward flavors, and strong yields for whites and Pinot Noir. Then, California experienced a historic heat wave in early September that ramped up the pace of ripening, compelling a fast and furious harvest as winemakers worked to pick fruit at its best quality. Fortunately, strong vines and proactive irrigation helped many vineyards survive the heat. The second half was much more predictable with cooler temperatures through October, so that later-ripening red varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, could develop their full flavor and tannin profile.

“The 2022 growing season kicked off with an early bud break and beautiful, mild weather during the spring after much-needed winter rainfall. A relatively cool summer helped our vines achieve great balance and equipped them to gracefully handle the warm spell over Labor Day weekend that brought on earlier- than-average fruit maturation. The resulting wines have tremendous richness and complexity, displaying our signature ‘Rutherford Dust’ throughout. We are extremely happy with the quality of our 2022 wines and this will certainly be a vintage to remember!" -Trevor Durling, Chief Winemaker Winter

Winery Update 

Winter in Rutherford brings cooler temperatures and much-needed rains to moisten the soils and replenish vineyard ponds. With the excitement of harvest over, attention turns to the cellar and the detailed duties of winemaking.

Topping Up

Barrels need to be “topped off” one by one about every six weeks. Because oak is porous, wine naturally evaporates through the staves. Known as the “angel’s share,” this wine must be replaced promptly so that the barrel stays completely full and free of oxygen. While some exchange of air is beneficial and creates unique flavors, too much can interfere with the natural flavors from the fruit.

Racking and Returning

To clarify the wines and prevent reductive qualities, they undergo a process called “racking and returning” in which they are emptied from the barrel and into a tank. While they are in the tank the barrels are washed to clear the sediment that’s collected at the bottom. Once this is done the wine is pumped back into the barrel to continue its rest.

Blending

Winter is the winemaker’s time to prepare the blends of the new vintages. This process is distinct for each wine and vintage but always involves careful calculations and sampling to find the perfect balance of aromas and flavors.