Earlier in the year, Kirk Venge sat down again to taste wines with Jonathan Cristaldi, the esteemed correspondent and wine writer for Decanter Magazine.
Jonathan’s full report on 2022 vintage and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon will come out later in the month and will include several B Cellars favorites.  Decanter slipped us a sneak preview of his B Cellars Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, giving it a big shout-out with a score of 97.

“A superb, silky and satiny expression…Suave tannins lay a solid foundation, supporting the dark berry fruits, exotic spices and saline-mineral tension, while mocha notes and zesty blood orange peel bring further complexity. A true heartbreaker of a wine, its seamless polish and satiny texture defy the challenges of the late-season heat.

The 2025 vintage is progressing beautifully across the vineyards. Warm, sunlit days are encouraging vigorous growth as the vines build out their canopies — the leafy architecture that will eventually protect ripening clusters from the intensity of the summer sun.

But before we get too far ahead of ourselves, the season’s next critical moment is just beginning: flowering. Yes, grapevines do flower, though the blossoms are subtle — not showy like stone fruit or citrus — and easily overlooked by the untrained eye. Still, this is one of the growing season’s most sensitive and vital stages.

During flowering, the vines self-pollinate to initiate the formation of grape clusters. But this moment of quiet transformation is fragile. Rain, hail, or even prolonged winds can disrupt the process, leading to what’s known as shatter — an irregular development of fruit where parts of a cluster remain bare, as if something nibbled the berries away. For growers, it’s a nerve-wracking time that demands close attention and a bit of luck from the weather.

Once flowering and pollination are complete, the vines enter fruit set — when the first tiny grapes begin to take shape. It’s our first glimpse of the fruit that will become the wines of the 2025 vintage.

This week, the winemaking team at B Cellars heads deep into the Grand Salon of the cave for one of the most important rituals of the year: the first full blending session for the 2024 vintage. While these wines still have another 12 to 20 months of aging ahead, this is the earliest opportunity to evaluate the vintage in its entirety — an essential checkpoint in the long, meticulous journey from grape to bottle.

Each wine is tasted on its own, with vineyard sites, blocks, and even individual barrels considered for their developing character. It’s a moment where the raw materials of the vintage begin to reveal themselves — and where early ideas for final blends start to form.

At this stage, the wines are like unruly teenagers. Each is full of personality and potential, flashing moments of brilliance that hint at what’s to come. But they’re not yet refined, and spending too much time with them in their current state can be overwhelming. Still, it’s a fascinating moment that requires the experience, intuition, and collaboration of a seasoned team.

Master Winemaker Kirk Venge and Co-Founder Jim Borsack have blended every wine in the B Cellars portfolio since the winery’s founding in 2003. They’re joined by Director of Winemaking Derek Taylor, who marks his 15th vintage this year, and General Manager Curtis Strohl, who has brought his expertise to the winery for the past eight years. Together, they bring a balance of vision, palate, and perspective to the blending table — each voice distinct, but all aligned in pursuit of a single goal: to craft wines of exceptional quality, nuance, and longevity.