Smoke Taint and the 2020 Napa Vintage

Let’s talk about the 2020 vintage in California briefly. Now, if you hadn’t heard, there were some fires in California in 2020. Smoke in large quantities can reveal itself in wines in very odd ways. Some taste smoky, others due to the burning toxins in wood, can produce off-moldy flavors. Usually these smoke fumes get into the vine via the leaves, and end up infecting the fruit. Producers in California have been working diligently to combat smoke esters in the grapes. That being said, it’s still with noting that the yield overall is down over thirteen percent from 2019.

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