I have spent the last two months talking to producers and tasting to learn more about the decisions made regarding wines from the difficult, smoke-affected 2020 vintage. The wildfires that consumed much of the west coast of the United States in the autumn of 2020 meant some vineyards (though not all) were inundated with smoke before harvest. In mid August the LNU Complex Fire had an enormous effect on much of northern California but for Napa Valley...
Napa's 2020s – sorting needed
Tuesday 29 March 2022
Napa's reds from the controversial 2020 vintage will be rare, but those that will be released later this year should be worth considering.
Become a member to continue reading
Celebrating 25 years of building the world’s most trusted wine community
In honour of our anniversary, enjoy 25% off all annual and gift memberships for a limited time.
Use code HOLIDAY25 to join our community of wine experts and enthusiasts. Valid through 1 January.
Member
$135
/year
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
- Access 286,046 wine reviews & 15,812 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
Inner Circle
$249
/year
Ideal for collectors
- Access 286,046 wine reviews & 15,812 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
- Access 286,046 wine reviews & 15,812 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade
- Access 286,046 wine reviews & 15,812 articles
- Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
- Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
- Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
More Inside information
Inside information
On South Africa’s remote West Coast an unlikely fortified-wine revival is taking place. Malu Lambert reports.
Saldanha’s castle is an...
Inside information
Part three of an eight-part series on how to pair wine with Asian flavours, adapted from Richard’s book. Click here...
Inside information
Yields are down but pleasure is up in 2024, with ‘drinkability’ the key word. Above, a wintry view Château de...
Inside information
The fifth of a new seven-part podcast series giving the definitive story of Jancis’s life and career so far. For...
More from JancisRobinson.com
Tasting articles
Gigondas Blanc lives up to its new appellation in 2024. Above, Clairette at Château de St-Cosme, one of the vintage’s...
Tasting articles
Cairanne and Rasteau headline the 2024 vintage among the southern crus, but there’s plenty to like in other appellations, too...
Tasting articles
Gigondas has the upper hand in 2024, but both regions offer a lot of drinking pleasure. Above, the Dentelles de...
Book reviews
A compelling call to really look at your wine before you drink it, and appreciate the power of colour.
The...
Tasting articles
Plenty of drinking pleasure on offer in 2024 – and likely without a long wait. The team at Clos du...
Nick on restaurants
A daughter revives memories of her parents’ much-loved Chinese restaurants.
The surname Poon has long associations with the world of...
Free for all
What do you get the wine lover who already has everything? Membership of JancisRobinson.com of course! (And especially now, when...
Free for all
A wide range of delicious reds for drinking and sharing over the holidays. A very much shorter version of this...