John Anthony Vineyards

Intention & Celebration

Now that the 2022 vintage is in the books, we enter into a season of quiet intention. 

The intensity of the harvest season may have subsided, but we remain active and excited across all facets of the John Anthony Vineyards experience. We celebrate the accomplishments of another banner year here in Napa Valley, while looking ahead to our milestone 20th anniversary. 

In the Vineyard

In the vineyard, this is a time to take stock and prepare for the 2023 growing season to come. The viticulture team has been busy seeding our estates with cover crops, which in time will sprout with luscious green growth along the vine rows. These cover crops will help renew the soils with organic material, imparting nutrients that the vines will draw upon throughout the growing season. 

We are also winterizing our vineyards with straw and wattles, which will provide erosion control in the event of heavy rains. Another seasonal task is to clean out the bird and owl boxes that are strategically placed around our vineyards. These boxes attract avian predators that naturally keep troublesome vineyard pests in check. 

Additionally, we are looking beyond next year with new Cabernet Sauvignon plantings at our estate R&D Vineyard in the Oak Knoll District. This signature estate planted by John Anthony Truchard in 2002 remains an essential part of our best Cabernet Sauvignon program. These new vines will advance this legacy when they start producing fruit in late 2024.   

At the Winery

The last of the fermentation tanks and bins have been emptied, and all of the young 2022 wines have been barreled down. 

The 2022 growing season saw steady temperatures until the arrival of a sustained early September heat wave that had every winemaker on their toes from Napa Valley down through the Central Coast. 

“For our whites and mid-season reds like Syrah and Merlot, we saw great flavors early on at lower maturity levels,” said John Anthony Winemaker Jeff Kandarian. “The heat wave hurried our later-ripening varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon. This can be troubling,  but after tasting through several barrels they are evolving really well already. We are seeing excellent color and concentration in the reds.”

Looking Ahead

The end of this year is now punctuated with an exclusive landmark release from John Anthony—the 2017 La Dame Michele, Single Vineyard Blanc de Blanc.

La Dame Michele is the classic mark of John Anthony’s handcrafted sparkling wine program, inspired and led by John’s wife Michele. Now comes the 2017 La Dame Michele Single Vineyard Blanc de Blanc, our first estate-grown, single-vineyard release. This elegant Blanc de Blanc spent a remarkable five years en tirage. Born of the standards practiced by the great Champagne houses, this sparkling wine is ethereally bright and light with rich, creamy undertones. It has exceeded all expectations, and is now available on a first-come luxury allocation basis for those that truly appreciate exceptional sparkling wines

This wine signals the celebrations to come in 2023—most notably our 20th anniversary year since the founding of John Anthony Vineyards. 

John Anthony LIST members and supporters can expect a spectacular year of events, experiences and products accessible here in Napa at our estate properties and out on the road. We look forward to announcing these in January, along with spring and fall release dates. 

Join us—we cannot wait to share all that John Anthony has in store for 2023.