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Vintage 1978
Napa Valley vintage report: Wet spring led to concerns about early botrytis, but desired warm weather followed bloom. From then on, it was a classic ripening season with a heat wave arriving just before the start of the harvest. The harvest was frenetic and some grapes became too ripe. But the size of the harvest was large enough to compensate for two years of drought. Cabernets are large in scale, sometimes with excess alcohol. The best ones are ripe, concentrated, with firming acids and lots of tannin that have sustained them for two decades. Although all have peaked, a surprising number of them are still in good shape today.
The Napa cabernet was solid, with just a few overzealous winemakers making unbalanced tannin monsters. Sonoma Valley experienced similar weather and similar luck in '78, with Kenwood's Artist Series, Silver Oak and St. Jean emerging as Sonoma County leaders. Over the first ten to fifteen years, 78s generally aged well. As aging continued, the 78s focused their attention on the cooler Stags Leap quarter, which enjoyed several successes and longevity in this otherwise warm vintage.