Napa Valley winemakers and growers will remember the 2001 growing season with the same fondness one remembers a thrill ride.

The excitement of this year’s harvest was due primarily to a series of climatic surprises that kept vintners on their toes throughout the year. A mild winter with very low rainfall preceded a spring growing season, which moved at an accelerated pace due to early warm temperatures. The Valley experienced an unusual late spring frost. In June the region baked in the kind of 100-plus temperatures that normally occur in July. Fortunately, both July and August were cooler than expected.
Despite the page-turner weather conditions the 2001 vintage offers great promise. Makers of white, red and sparkling wine are beaming as they taste their first barrel samples.

John Kongsgaard of Luna Vineyards said he “had every reason to have the highest expectations” for the 2001 Pinot Grigio, adding, “The must that is fermenting in-barrel seems to be very aromatic and intense.”
Robert Mondavi Winery’s Genevieve Janssens is also confident in the quality of the white wines of this vintage. Because of “an incredible balance of fruit, ph and acidity.” Janssens believes this will be “a beautiful year for Sauvignon Blanc.” Cuvaison President and Winemaker John Thacher echoed this sentiment for Chardonnay. “It looks really good—the fruit is impeccable aesthetically,” he said.

Big, full wines of concentrated color and flavor will define the 2001 Napa Valley red vintage, says Brad Warner, winemaker at Sawyer Cellars. “We’re seeing smaller berries and thicker skins, a skin-to-pulp ratio that results in wines that have deep, beautiful, intense color.” Chris Madrigal of Madrigal Vineyard Management said of this year’s Merlot, “The quality is awesome.”

The president and winemaker at Storybook Mountain Winery, Dr. Jerry Seps, found his Zinfandel “unusually aromatic.” He attributes these aromatics to a cool July and August.

For sparkling wine grapes, this is shaping up to be a remarkable year. Greg Fowler, senior vice president of winemaking and production for Mumm Napa Valley, says with a wry smile, “It’s the vintage of the century!” Irony aside, the consensus among Napa Valley’s sparkling winemakers is that 2001 will be a vintage to savor.

“Quality is way up, with beautiful, small-berried clusters and outstanding flavors,” said Fowler. He went on to predict that 2001 will “be a vintage year for sparkling wine – not every year is.”

Now that the sight of purple, wine-stained hands and the sounds of truck-drawn gondolas rumbling down local roadways have faded, winemakers and growers are getting a chance to catch their breath before it all begins again. In the meantime, wine drinkers can look forward to a crop of stellar 2001 Napa Valley wines.