The second-driest year on record leads to low yields but no shortage of quality.
On a recent trip to Sonoma, I tasted through a few hundred wines, the bulk of which were current-release 2021s. On the back of 2020, the 2021 vintage is a godsend – ripe and concentrated, but with plenty enough acidity and tannins for the wines to age well. Other vintages will be featured in a round-up article early next year.
The growing season
Heading into the 2021 growing season, California was parched. 2020 had been the fifth-driest year on record. The winter of 2020/21 provided no...