Dana Estates Vaso:The 2013 vintage marks the start of a prolonged dry period in Napa. Most of the rain we received fell in March and April. With such a dry season we removed our cover crops early, so that any water in the soil would be left for the vines. While there were a few heat spikes in July, August, and September, the average temperatures were moderate, allowing the grapes to ripen fully while retaining structure and acidity. There was a little rain on September 21st, but the dry windy conditions kept the moisture from being any concern to fruit quality. October followed with perfect ripening conditions. The warm days helped the vines through the final stages of flavor and tannin development. The below average night time temperatures helped to retain the acidity in the grapes.
Robert Parker: This estate has turned into one of the superstars of Napa Valley thanks to the energetic and visionary ownership of Korean Hi Sang Lee and his son, along with the winemaking guru Philippe Melka. These are all sensational wines coming from some of the best sites in Napa Valley. All of the 2014s out of bottle showed slightly better than they did from a barrel tasting a year ago.
