Every vintage is a different story, shaped by the specific conditions of the year — the rain that came or didn't, the heat wave that arrived without warning, the cool October that allowed the final grapes to find their best expression. The 2022 vintage at Beringer was all of those things, sometimes in the same week.
At a Glance
- Vintage: 2022
- Season Summary: A year both wild and refined — drought conditions early, a historic California heat wave mid-harvest, a calmer and cooler finish
- Highlight: Strong yields for whites and Pinot Noir in the first half; full tannin and flavor development for Cabernet Sauvignon in the second
- Key Winemaking Insight: Winter cellar work — topping up, racking and returning, blending — shapes the final character of every wine
- Explore: Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
The Growing Season
The 2022 growing season began with below-average rainfall, extending California's drought conditions for a third consecutive year. However, a series of significant rainfall events in winter and early spring filled reservoirs in Napa and Sonoma, improving early growing conditions substantially compared to 2021.
For the first time in several years, frost occurred at the beginning of the growing season — a risk in Napa Valley's lower-lying sites — though vineyards in coastal and elevated regions were largely protected. Through the start of harvest, temperatures for the season were moderate, which supported good canopy development and early ripening conditions across California.
Harvest: Two Very Different Halves
The 2022 harvest divided itself cleanly into two phases.
The first half arrived calm and early. Vineyards were healthy, yields were strong, and the fruit showed bright acidity and forward, fruit-driven flavors — ideal conditions for whites and Pinot Noir. It was the kind of opening that winemakers hope for.
Then, in early September, California experienced a historic heat wave. Temperatures spiked dramatically across the state, compressing the ripening window and demanding fast decisions from winemakers who needed to pick fruit at peak quality before conditions deteriorated. It was, by any account, a high-intensity stretch of work — the kind that defines a vintage.
Fortunately, proactive vineyard management and irrigation helped many sites survive the heat event. And the second half of harvest — cooler, more predictable, extending through October — allowed the later-ripening red varieties, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, to develop the full flavor and tannin profile the variety is known for. The final weeks of the season were the more typical vintage experience: patient, measured, and rewarding.
Winter in the Cellar
Once harvest ends, the work shifts from the vineyard to the cellar. Winter in St. Helena is quieter than the harvest rush, but it's not without complexity. The wines now resting in barrel need constant attention, and three key processes define the season.
Topping Up
Oak barrels are porous. Wine slowly evaporates through the staves — a phenomenon known as the "angel's share" — and must be replaced approximately every six weeks to keep each barrel completely full. Air in the barrel above the wine line creates oxidation risk; some oxygen exchange through the oak is beneficial and contributes to the wine's development, but too much interferes with the fruit character. Topping up is methodical, barrel by barrel, and never skipped.
Racking and Returning
Over time, sediment collects at the bottom of the barrel. To clarify the wine and prevent reductive qualities from developing, winemakers "rack and return" — emptying the barrel into a tank, washing the barrel to remove sediment, and then pumping the wine back in to continue its aging. The process exposes the wine to controlled oxygen and keeps it clean and fresh as it develops.
Blending
Winter is when the winemaker makes the decisions that define the final wine. The blending process varies by wine and vintage, but always involves careful sampling and calculation — evaluating individual lots, understanding how they interact, and assembling the combination that best expresses the vintage's character. For the Private Reserve program, this means tasting through every vineyard lot from the year and choosing the blend that carries forward the wine's consistent identity while honestly reflecting what the season delivered.
Why Vintage Matters
Reading a vintage note on a wine label isn't just marketing. The conditions of a specific year — the spring frosts, the August heat, the cool October — are directly expressed in the wine. The 2022 vintage's two-phase harvest means that whites and Pinot Noir from this year carry the freshness and brightness of the early season, while Cabernet Sauvignons carry the concentration and structure that the cooler second half allowed to develop fully.
Understanding that story doesn't just make the wine more interesting to drink. It makes every bottle a more specific, traceable expression of a place and a moment in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the 2022 Napa Valley harvest like?
The 2022 harvest in Napa Valley had two distinct phases. The first half was calm, with healthy vineyards, strong yields, and bright, fruit-forward fruit — excellent for whites and Pinot Noir. A historic heat wave in early September accelerated ripening and required fast decisions from winemakers. The second half returned to cooler, more predictable conditions through October, allowing Cabernet Sauvignon to develop its full flavor and tannin profile.
What is topping up in winemaking?
Topping up is the practice of refilling barrels with wine to replace what has evaporated through the porous oak staves. This natural evaporation is called the "angel's share." Barrels must be topped up approximately every six weeks to keep them completely full and prevent excess oxygen exposure, which would compromise the wine's flavor development.
What is racking and returning in winemaking?
Racking and returning is a cellar process in which wine is emptied from a barrel into a tank, the barrel is cleaned to remove accumulated sediment, and the wine is pumped back in to continue aging. The process clarifies the wine, introduces a measured amount of oxygen, and prevents reductive off-flavors from developing.
How does blending work for the Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon?
Each vineyard in the Private Reserve program is vinified separately — fermented, aged, and evaluated as its own lot. In winter, Beringer's winemaking team tastes through all the lots and assembles the final blend by selecting the combination that best expresses both the vintage's character and the program's consistent identity. Each lot is aged for 20 months in custom-toasted French Nevers oak before blending.
SHOP PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
LEARN ABOUT BERINGER'S WINEMAKING
Want to go deeper on what makes each Beringer vintage unique? Explore Private Reserve across multiple vintages and taste how the season shows up in the glass.
