The 2006 vintage was not the easiest for Napa growers, as a wide range of issues demanded careful management of the vineyards. It started as winter flooding, and wet weather pushed back bud break — spring botrytis was a problem. Things heated up in June and July, and shatter was a problem, but the pace of ripening also caught up somewhat in the warm conditions. August cooled off a bit, allowing the pace of ripening to continue at a good clip, and conditions remained sound through the harvest. Cool temperatures arrived in October, with a little rain in the first week, and mold was a concerns. Late-ripening Cabernet struggled somewhat to achieve perfect physiological ripeness, and while the vintage has produced some very good to excellent wines, it is a bit more variable than the stellar years that surround it.