Napa Valley

Wine tasting reports, wine videos, wine reviews and more from Napa Valley, by James Suckling, wine critic and journalist, and the team at JamesSuckling.com. The best red wines and white wines from Napa Valley.

Napa Valley

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Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Tasting: A Seismic Vintage?
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Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Tasting: A Seismic Vintage?

Everyone living or working in Napa Valley in 2014 remembers the harvest season well, mostly because of an earthquake that occurred in August. But how did the wines fare? A decade later, Executive Editor Jim Gordon takes a closer look...
JamesSuckling Interviews: Dan Petroski
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JamesSuckling Interviews: Dan Petroski

An outspoken thought leader on the future of winegrowing and wine consumption, Massican founder Dan Petroski shares his thoughts on why he thinks Napa pinot grigio is his future, the sweet spot of fine wine pricing and how taking a less defensive view of next-gen consumption can set the wine industry up for success in the years to come.
NAPA VALLEY CABS SHINE IN 2021: Apex Vintage in a ‘Redemption’ Year
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NAPA VALLEY CABS SHINE IN 2021: Apex Vintage in a ‘Redemption’ Year

Cabernet sauvignon drinkers and collectors who haven’t yet taken a position on Napa Valley’s 2021s should get busy and commit. It’s a "redemption" vintage of very high quality and eminent ageability that is destined for more greatness than 2019 and 2020.
Winemaker Jason Kesner on Kistler’s 2022 Chardonnays
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Winemaker Jason Kesner on Kistler’s 2022 Chardonnays

Jason Kesner of Kistler Vineyards in Sonoma, Californiia, gives his thoughts on the fresh and balanced 2022 vintage and how they avoided the worst effects of the heat dome that year.
Sauternes Perfection, Napa’s Classy Cabs and the Wines of the New North: Weekly Tasting Report (June 5-11)
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Sauternes Perfection, Napa’s Classy Cabs and the Wines of the New North: Weekly Tasting Report (June 5-11)

In our latest Weekly Tasting Report we uncovered three perfect wines from the same appellation – Sauternes – as well as a bevy of cabernet sauvignon beauties from Napa Valley.
Plump 2022s from Chablis, Spectacular German Pinots and Napa’s Killer ‘B’s: Weekly Tasting Report (March 20-26)
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Plump 2022s from Chablis, Spectacular German Pinots and Napa’s Killer ‘B’s: Weekly Tasting Report (March 20-26)

The 2022 vintage in Chablis confirms that a warming climate challenges the typicity of the region, with Chablis’ saline oyster-shell notes and tensile mineral infusion increasingly giving way to riper fruit accents that verge on bumptious.
Brain on Winemaking: Mastering Minerality
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Brain on Winemaking: Mastering Minerality

Want to learn more about viticulture and winemaking? Can you taste minerals in wine? Is the Winkler Index for climate over? We got you covered. Matt Brain, a former academic in viticulture and winemaking who now makes wine at Alpha Omega in Napa Valley, is writing a monthly column for us.
Ovid’s Austin Peterson on Their New Napa Plantings
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Ovid’s Austin Peterson on Their New Napa Plantings

James interviews Austin Peterson, the winemaker for Ovid in Napa Valley, about the advantages of their new vineyard plantings, which resemble those from 30 years ago with their low density and wide spacing.
California’s Under-the-Radar Stars, Washington’s Vibrant 2021s and Coming of Age in Germany: Weekly Tasting Report (Feb 14-20)
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California’s Under-the-Radar Stars, Washington’s Vibrant 2021s and Coming of Age in Germany: Weekly Tasting Report (Feb 14-20)

Our latest Weekly Tasting Report features a few terrific under-the-radar wines from California, a handful of sterling syrahs from Washington and a breathtaking sparkling wine from Germany.