2015 was not only the earliest harvest on record in the Napa Valley, but the hottest as well! The fourth year of drought throughout California, coupled with a warm winter and spring, gave us early bud-break and bloom, but also resulted in less tonnage.
Heat spikes up to 107 degrees withered the vines and vineyard crews alike, but cool nights and fog returned to guarantee the quality of the grapes and send 2015 into the record books along with the previous three years as incredible collector vintages.
Amazingly, we harvested all three blocks of our vineyard’s Cabernet Sauvignon before we normally even start picking for the year! Despite the lighter crop, nicely extracted Cabernets — elegant, fruity, and beautifully structured — were produced in 2015.
We’ve even started to experiment in the winery with some barrel fermentation for finesse. Stay tuned for the impressive 2015 HL Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon!
Photos by Matt Morris & Emma K. Morris.
