We rated more than 400 wines over the past week, with Executive Editor Jim Gordon continuing to find outstanding Napa Valley reds from the challenging 2022 vintage, including exceptional examples from Grace Family Vineyards and Rudd Estate. These continue to convince us that good grape-growing practices and skillful winemaking produced dozens if not hundreds of totally enjoyable cabernet sauvignons and other wines from a harvest season plagued by record-breaking heat.
Let’s start with Grace Family, which many people associate with the large, graceful Victorian house perched above a sloping vineyard along Highway 29 north of St. Helena. When Jim tasted the new 2022 reds at this property with owner Kathryn Green and winemaker Helen Keplinger, he learned that the winery actually owns two vineyards in the St. Helena appellation and now makes three wines from them. Two blocks totaling three acres grow at the Victorian, while another separate, small estate contains five acres of vines called Cornelius Grove.
For the last two vintages, the Cornelius Grove wines have earned slightly higher ratings from our tasting team, which is a high bar to clear given that Grace Family is perhaps the original cult cabernet from Napa Valley. The Grace Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley St. Helena Cornelius Grove 2022 is brilliant, balanced and gorgeous, emphasizing red fruits and mineral, iron-like flavors.