The 2022 Napa Valley growing season was a study in contrasts. An atmospheric river dumped more than four inches of rain in a 24-hour period in October of 2021, capping a two-year dry spell and setting up the vines with a good amount of ground moisture as they woke from winter dormancy. The rains petered out fairly early in the spring of 2022, however, ultimately making for a smaller crop.
The summer months were relatively uneventful, despite being on the warmer side. We saw better vine development than in the two previous seasons, with a full canopy that would stand the fruit in good stead when the thermometer spiked in September. With the Labor Day heat event, what had been a fairly sedate growing season became a critical test of our abilities.
Farming in the Policy Vineyard is exemplary, and that was key to withstanding several days of temperatures above 110°F. The soils here are deep, with good capacity for holding moisture, and the vines have a larger root base so they remained well irrigated. Once again Clone 7 was the star of the vintage, coming through seemingly unperturbed. All of that fruit made the final bottling.
Winemaking & Tasting Notes
Going forward, the Pulido~Walker Policy Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon will be vinted entirely from Clone 7, as it was once again in 2022. A standout from the past several vintages, this fruit consistently yields the darkest and densest wine of all the lots from this site.
The 2022 wine presents all of the recognizable traits of the vineyard—fruit forward, balanced red and black fruits punctuated by savory notes, pleasingly proportionate—with slightly less intensity and tannin. It’s a charming, accessible wine that gained an appealing density in barrel.
We recommend holding some of the earlier releases from this vineyard, and celebrating the many successes of this vintage from Policy Estate while anticipating the ways future vintages will continue to impress.
Thomas Rivers Brown, Winemaker
Data
Estate Grown
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Clone: 7
Aging: 20 months in 100% French oak (80% new barrels)
Barrel Coopers: Darnajou, Taransaud, and Treuil
Alcohol: 14.8% by vol.
Titratable Acidity: 5.8 g/L
pH: 3.78
Bottling Date: June 2024
Production: 149 Cases
Site
Appellation: Yountville, Napa Valley
Acreage: 9 acres between the Mayacamas and Vaca mountain ranges, on State Lane north of Kapscándy Family Winery