People ask which is the best vintage, and the honest answer is that there is no such thing. A vintage is a record of one year of weather on one piece of ground. Some years suit some wines. The trick is learning to read what the year did, then choosing the bottle that matches the night.
Warm years and cool years
A warm, dry summer ripens fruit fully. You get higher alcohol, riper tannin, darker fruit, and a wine that feels generous. Our 2021 reds are like this: broad and plush, the kind of bottle you want with a long, slow dinner in winter.
A cool year holds acidity and keeps the fruit fresh and high-toned. The wines come in lighter on their feet, more savory, easier to drink in the heat. The 2022 whites are the clearest example we have made: taut, saline, built for an afternoon on the patio.
Reading the back label
We print the harvest dates and the growing notes on every back label because they tell you more than a score does. An early harvest usually means a hot year. A long hang into late October usually means a patient, cooler one. The aging note tells you how much time the wine has already had, and how much it still wants.
So next time you stand in front of a shelf, do not reach for the highest number. Think about the meal, the season, and the room. Then read the year on the bottle as what it is: a weather report you can drink.