Both 2023 and 2024 had their challenges for winemakers, but that doesn’t mean these vintages are void of great value-for-money wines.

This year’s value picks focus on chillable, quaffable annatas rather than bottles which rise above their station.

But as a reminder that Chianti Classico offers amazing value throughout its ranks, in addition to the entry-level annatas I've also included one Riserva and one Gran Selezione that won’t break the bank.

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With a young generation embracing it, and historical estates continuing to defend it, Chianti Classico Riserva remains resilient to the vagaries of vintage, climate and trends.

Even as former Riservas continue to be upgraded to Gran Selezione, Chianti Classico's middle tier is still seeing its share of new wines.

Sofia Ricasoli, who represents the 33rd generation of the region’s most legendary wine family, has chosen Riserva for her one and only Chianti Classico made under her own label.

‘It’s a more historical category than Gran Selezione’, she rationalises. Launched with the 2021 vintage, Innesto means ‘graft’ and references a return to her deep roots after studying and practising law, while at the same time looks toward the future.

Challenges aplenty

Aware but undeterred by the myriad of challenges facing the wine industry today, Ricasoli asserts, ‘The greatest is climate change – more so than market or economic conditions.’

Indeed, climate challenges were front and centre in 2023, with a significant reduction in quantities due to peronospora (downy mildew), hail and drought.

After losing 80% at his Monte Bernardi estate, Michael Schmeltzer essentially folded what are typically three separate bottlings into a single soulful Riserva. Other estates didn’t bottle a Riserva at all.

The Riserva 2023s that were bottled reveal some issues managing ripeness and volatile acidity. Several examples were already fully evolved, contradicting the spirit of the category.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, my top picks come from the region’s cooler pockets: Castello di Querceto in the upper reaches of Greve, Castello di Volpaia in the fresh, forested subdistrict of Radda, and Castellaccio’s Lama dei Cortacci above the hamlet of Lamole at a lofty 700 metres.

I would recommend drinking these over the next five to eight years. San Giusto a Rentennano’s reliably excellent Le Baròncole is an exception and needs more time in bottle.

Chianti Classico's up-and-comers

Read the rest of Michaela's Chianti Classico analysis:

2022 and other late releases

2022 is shaping up to be a far more consistent vintage than 2023. Revisiting some 2022s released last year alongside some 2022s debuting this year reveals a highly successful cohort.

Combining density with grip and zip, they offer a solid decade of drinking potential. Among this year's releases, L'Erta di Radda and Val delle Corti are highlights, while Podere Ferrale is yet another promising new name.

Meanwhile, the category's stalwarts continue to live up to their formidable reputations, highlighted by Castello di Monsanto’s vivacious 2022, Badia a Coltibuono’s refined 2021, and Castell’in Villa’s intricate, age-worthy 2020.

Michaela's pick of Chianti Classico Riserva

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Elevated from Riserva to Gran Selezione for the 2023 vintage, Maurizio Alongi’s standout Vigna Barbischio proudly touts the UGA (Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive) of Gaiole – one of eight subzones now permitted on Gran Selezione labels.

Similarly, Cigliano di Sopra has debuted its first ever Gran Selezione, from a single vineyard in San Casciano planted in 2016.

Maddalena Fucile admits that it’s unusual to declare this lofty status for fledging vines – for context, the estate’s Riserva features 50-year-old plantings.

‘If a vineyard is born with the right stuff, it can be a Gran Selezione even from its youth,’ she reasons.

I was also charmed by Il Poggiolino’s resinous Le Balze and Poggio al Sole’s glossy Casasilia. Both hail from San Donato in Poggio and offer satisfying drinking over the next decade.

As the majority of 2023 Gran Seleziones won’t be released until at least next year, I will reserve final judgement for now – however, several estates including Tregole and Castello di Ama have already indicated that they will skip the vintage for their Gran Selezione.

And while Rocca delle Macìe did produce its Fizzano Il Crocino label, the family chose to use the fruit from their prized plot usually destined for their flagship Sergio Zingarelli bottling in the Riserva instead.

2022 and 2021: Perfect scores and changing rules

The 2022 and 2021 Gran Selezione releases cast a brilliant spotlight on the classification, offering cellarworthy gems promising 10 to 15 years of evolution.

Notably, Castello di Ama’s magnificent Bellavista 2022 earns the distinction of receiving my first ever 100-point score for a Chianti Classico.

Enjoy its longstanding signature blend of 80% Sangiovese and 20% Malvasia Nera while it lasts, as it will soon be tweaked to conform with revised regulations due to come into effect for the 2027 vintage, which stipulate a minimum of 90% Sangiovese.

Furthermore, because the updated protocol for Gran Selezione will prohibit Merlot altogether, the estate has withdrawn its La Casuccia bottling from the Chianti Classico denomination as of the 2022 vintage.

An 80/20 blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, it is now labelled as a Toscana IGT.

Marco Pallanti, who launched the wine in 1985 and was instrumental in establishing the Gran Selezione category, expresses regret.

‘I have always believed that the best wines of the zone should be Chianti Classico,’ he states. While a loss for the denomination, La Casuccia will find itself in good company among the region’s exceptional Super Tuscans.

The majority of Gran Seleziones today are made exclusively from Sangiovese, having been conceived relatively recently or evolved with foresight of the category’s direction.

Castello di Fonterutoli’s Badiòla is one such example, and rings out in 2022 as a clear reference point for Radda’s cool, radiant and racy profile.

Expanding horizons & new projects

Fully embracing the UGA endeavour, Antinori’s new trio of Gran Selezione from San Casciano, Castellina and Gaiole shine for the second consecutive year.

In other news, the company announced that it has taken over management of Castello di Cacchiano, a historic property once part of the original Ricasoli empire. Expect a facelift there.

With the 2022 vintage, Fèlsina marks its 60th anniversary. Throughout this time, the Poggiali family have been steadfast champions of Sangiovese.

Their Colonia wonderfully captures the wild, earthy sunbaked allure of Castelnuovo Berardegna.

From the same UGA, San Felice’s second vintage of La Pieve combines structural and fruit richness in an approachable package.

Now under the direction of Carlo De Biasi, San Felice is embracing regenerative agriculture. Through the LIFE VitiCaSe project, they have established four pilot vineyards, in collaboration with Castello di Albola and Tenute Ruffino, serving as an educational hub for improving soil health and increasing carbon capture capacity.

Other noteworthy nascent Gran Selezione bottlings from 2022 include Castello di Gabbiano’s Vigneto Cerbaiola, sourced from a single parcel in San Donato in Poggio, and Pomona’s Vigna del Termine.

The latter will eventually bear the UGA of Vagliagli – one of three additional subzones permitted from 2027.

Don't forget the 2022s

Not to be outdone by the 2022s, the late-release 2021s offer as much pleasure as cellaring potential.

Among my personal highlights, Castagnoli’s transportive Salita and Nardi’s effusive Vigna del Pino both wave the flag for the Castellina UGA.

Built for the long term, Castello di Monsanto’s celebrated Vigna Poggio from San Donato in Poggio is outstanding. Likewise, Panzano-based Le Cinciole comes out with its best ever vintage of Aluigi.

Finally, after years in the making, Querciabella has released three new Gran Selezione representing Greve, Radda and – another UGA-in-waiting – Lamole.

‘This was Sebastiano’s dream,’ says long-time winemaker Manfred Ing. However, Sebastiano Cossia Castiglioni ceded ownership of the winery to his sister Mita Castiglioni and her son Andrea before seeing the project reach fruition.

The wines are a stunning testament to his legacy, with the Radda bottling getting my top vote.

Ultimately, no single subzone triumphs above the others. Instead, the exciting and diverse wines emanating from across the region serve to reinforce the UGA project, cementing the ongoing commitment of Chianti Classico's top estates to the Gran Selezione category.

Read the rest of Michaela's Chianti Classico analysis:

Michaela's top Gran Selezione released this year

Gran Selezione: Best of the rest

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Old-school or contemporary? Chianti Classico’s wineries argue that 2024 is both.

‘They recall the Chianti Classicos produced in vintages of yesteryear,’ says Monteraponi’s Alessandra Deiana, who describes them as elegant, fine boned and lively.

At the same time, wineries are hopeful that these chillable, chuggable reds will appeal to today’s tastes. ‘It’s what wine drinkers are looking for now’, asserts Paolo Paffi at Casa Emma.

What is the 2024 style?

Stylistically, the 2024 Chianti Classico annatas are slender and frisky, with modest alcohols typically hovering between 12-13%.

Quality, however, is mixed. Those that shone are vivacious, agile and refreshing, exhibiting lovely perfumes and extraordinary lightness with satisfying flavour.

Some are less charming, even a bit angular, while the weakest examples reveal lean and diluted wines with green, unripe tannins.

Embodying the beauty of 2024, Badia a Coltibuono is my top annata. Other highlights include Monteraponi, Jurij Fiore & Figlia’s unoaked Sonocosì, and Principe Corsini’s Villa Le Corti for value.

Viticcio spent less time in wood to allow for an earlier release and is all the better for it. Both San Giusto a Rentennano and Poggerino show a bit more density and structure relative to their counterparts without forsaking the identity of the vintage.

While the annata category is often a treasure trove of wines that overdeliver, this is less prevalent in 2024. Even so, most sit comfortably and modishly within their station.

I am less inclined to put away a few bottles ‘for science’ as I often do; instead, it is a vintage for immediate and uninhibited drinking.

For those – like me – who love lithe sprightly reds, the vintage’s successes are worth buying. Who knows when a profile like 2024 will come around again?

Clinging on to organics

Chianti Classico 2024: Vintage in depth

The 2024 vintage of Chianti Classico is certainly unlike any other in the last decade. A wet spring, followed by the dry and progressively hot summer somewhat resembled 2023.

September and October, however, were marked by cool temperatures and unremitting rain, the likes of which growers had not seen in years.

‘That extended ripening cycle gave us lower alcohol, brighter acidity, and a freshness and luminosity in the wines that I find genuinely exciting,’ raves Roberto Stucchi at Badia a Coltibuono.

While many echo his enthusiasm, others are less convinced. Matteo Buccerelli at Antico Podere Casanova decided against bottling a Chianti Classico altogether, claiming that the wine is ‘too thin’.

By all accounts, the growing season was gruelling. The wet spring brought high disease pressure, and after devastating losses to peronospora (downy mildew) in 2023, agronomist teams were extra vigilant about staying on top of spraying.

The vines rebounded from the low yields of 2023 with a bumper crop. The Chianti Classico consorzio reports a total production of 305,000 hectolitres in 2024, which is 50% more than 2023, and the highest since 2019.

At San Giusto a Rentennano, Luca Martini di Cigala says that green harvesting was ‘fundamental’ to achieving full ripeness.

He dropped 25-30% of bunches between July and August, and another 10-12% at the beginning of September. ‘Too often, grape thinning is done too late or not at all,’ he emphasises.

The heavy loads were exacerbated by the rain in September, which plumped up berries and slowed ripening, particularly in areas with less sun exposure. The once common practice of deleafing became vital again.

According to several growers, achieving phenolic ripeness was a challenge, especially in vineyards where the summer heat had blocked photosynthesis. However, waiting for ripeness increased the risk of rot.

The long and onerous harvest lasted well into October and required multiple passages in between downpours.

Thin, delicate skins demanded gentle vinifications. Winemakers cited everything from less pumping over, avoiding punching down and shorter macerations.

The latter was also due to logistics, as there were just so many grapes to vinify – estates scrambled to get their hands on more vats to deal with the surfeit.

‘2024 was undoubtedly difficult to manage, and costlier compared to other years,’ says Angela Fronti at Istine. ‘Nevertheless, it was highly rewarding in the end.’

Read the rest of Michaela's Chianti Classico analysis:

Late release – A look at the 2023s

Michaela's pick of Chianti Classico 2024 (& late releases)

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Italy’s mid-August public holiday, Ferragosto is synonymous with the height of the country’s summer break, but in 2022, it also marked a crucial turning point for the vintage.

Following the arid 2021 vintage, 2022 needs new superlatives. With little rain or snow in autumn 2021 and winter 2022, the dusty terrain resembled August when I visited in mid-March.

Chianti Classico 2022 vintage rating 

Extreme heat and drought conditions were somewhat alleviated by mid-August storms. An early but long harvest yielded a variable mix of characterful near-term drinking annata with unexpected freshness.

4/5

While beneficial, April showers were nowhere near sufficient to replenish reserves for the parched months that followed. ‘Between mid-May and mid-August, we recorded less than 10mm of rain,’ said Valentino Davaz at Poggio al Sole.

Then, in late spring, the heat began to soar and didn’t relent for most of the summer. ‘Average temperatures with maximum peaks over 30°C lasted for more than 80 consecutive days,’ relayed Rocca delle Macìe’s Thomas Francioni. Tim Schefenacker at Castagnoli added that there were five days in July that reached 43°C.

See the score table for Michaela’s tasting notes and scores for 180 new Chianti Classico releases 

Welcome relief

‘It was as hot as hell,’ Sofia Ruhne at Terreno summarised, fearing in July that they wouldn’t even harvest anything, such was the vine stress.

The watershed moment, quite literally, arrived during Ferragosto, dousing the region with much needed water. On 18 August, Cigliano di Sopra measured a whopping 100mm in San Casciano, and Castello di Ama in Gaiole recorded a total of 60mm in the second half of the month.

‘The ample rainfall was truly effective for the plants to be able to ripen the grapes,’ asserted Poggerino’s Piero Lanza.

Alas, the high-pressure system also brought localised but violent hail which cut a swathe through Panzano, where Tenuta Casenuove reported 50% damage to 10 of the estate’s hectares. Fontodi estimates over 20% loss of total production; Le Cinciole 30%.

Nonetheless, the storms helped moderate the heat (slightly) and were followed by occasional further sprinklings. Balmy temperatures and availability of water kickstarted ripening, leading to an early start to the harvest on 10 September.

While it was protracted and lasted approximately a month, most growers finished before heavier showers at the end of September – or picked around them. ‘Waiting was a risk,’ explained Angela Fronti at Istine, noting that ultimately the rain helped with the final phase of maturation.

At 260,000 hectolitres for the region, yields were not significantly less than average despite losses at individual estates. Grapes arrived at the cellar in healthy condition, mostly characterised by small berries with thick skins. ‘The difficulty in the cellar was to interpret the vintage well,’ shared Matteo Vaccari at Cigliano di Sopra.

Across samplings of almost 50 newly bottled annata, it was evident that efforts were valiant. As with 2020, there is some variability, but the 2022s are a studier set.

Read: Chianti Classico Riserva: New releases in 2024

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione: New releases in 2024

New Chianti Classico releases in 2024: Top picks for the table and cellar

How do the 2022s taste?

Despite the heat, 2022 is not overtly rich like 2015. Nor do the wines battle with the compact, drying structure as they did in 2017. In some cases, astringent tannins poke through, however, they remain balanced overall.

Moreover, and most gratifyingly for such a hot vintage, they have preserved remarkable freshness. There is so much juicy crunch in Jurij Fiore e Figli’s Sonocosì, you wouldn’t guess it was from a hot vintage. This speaks to the cool, heady heights of the Lamole district. However, even on the warm western slopes of Castellina, Castagnoli’s fruit-laden 2022 rings out with purity and succulent acidity. And through the dark fruit and vigour of Panzano, Il Molino di Grace has plenty of lift.

Tasted next to the late-release 2021s, 2022 may come across as more superficial in its charms. There simply isn’t the same level of aromatic complexity, depth or sophisticated structure. By comparison, 2021 is a treasure trove of over-achievers – such as Montecalvi, Tenuta di Carleone, as well as Jurij Fiore e Figlia’s ‘cru’ bottlings to name just a few.

However, the 2022s are certainly characterful and offer immense drinkability, which is exactly what the category should deliver. Exemplifying this are wines like Bibbiano, Podere Poggio Scalette and Montesecondo.

While the majority will be at their best over the next three to four years, some wines – such as Poggerino and San Giusto a Rentennano – boast the substance and structure for even longer ageing.

A sense of place

Vintage variation aside, what the new annata releases demonstrate across all three vintages tasted this year – 2020, 2021 and 2022 – is a sense of place within the region. Even though the names of the new UGA (11 official districts) are currently only permitted on Gran Selezione labels, the annata wines present a strong argument that they should be granted to all categories.

While different styles, both Castello di Monsanto 2022 and Castello della Paneretta 2021 exhibit the perfumed red fruit and firmness of tannins I associate with San Donato in Poggio. Isole e Olena’s excellent 2021 is all this – with extra tautness.

From San Casciano, Fattoria San Michele a Torri and Collazzi’s 2022s play to the round, soft character of this warm, early ripening district.

Equally affable, Principe Corsini’s 2022 Le Corti, a perennial value pick, has a bit more chew to it – but certainly not a bite.

By contrast, Radda’s cool microclimate is unmistakable in Podere Terreno alla via della Volpaia’s vertical, pleasantly tart 2022, L’Erta di Radda’s thrillingly racy 2021, and Val delle Corti’s elegantly midweight 2020.

This is, of course, just the tip of Chianti Classico’s rich diversity, expressing three-dimensional scope of vintage, provenance and individual estate interpretation.

Chianti Classico annata: Featured in this report

The selection of wines below are all mentioned in this Chianti Classico annata report. To see all wines tasted, including all the top scorers, view the score table.

Related articles

• Chianti Classico Riserva: New releases in 2024
• Chianti Classico Gran Selezione: New releases in 2024
• Brunello di Montalcino 2019 – ‘spoiled for choice’: Full report

Bolgheri 2019

The 2019 vintage is particularly floral. The major defect in some wines is higher alcohol when not properly balanced, however the tannins are almost always good – more grainy than velvety, yet rarely hard. Merlot is particularly restrained in this vintage.

5/5

The most iconic scene when one arrives in Bolgheri, on the coast of Tuscany, is without a doubt the stunning cypress-lined road – the Viale dei Cipressi (a Unesco heritage site) – but from a winemaking perspective, the Bolgherese is the road to look to.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Bolgheri 2019 wines

Tasting the wines of Bolgheri year by year unveils clear differences between the vineyards below and those above the Bolgherese road, referred to as ‘sottostrada’ and ‘soprastrada’ respectively.

From a technical point of view, below the Bolgherese lie the flatter, sandier and lower altitude vineyards, plus more westerly vineyards closer to the sea at just a few metres above sea level. Above the Bolgherese, the land gently climbs eastwards toward hills and the ‘magona’, as the forest surrounding the appellation is known. The altitude here is slightly higher, reaching up to 100 metres above sea level. The slopes are also slightly steeper and the soils richer in clay and often in limestone.

The quality of the fruit is a bit more restrained and the tannins more tight-knit and elegant in the wines made from grapes picked ‘soprastrada’, while ‘sottostrada’ fruit is slightly brighter on the palate and the structure is looser, especially in young wines.

Despite marked variations, it would be wrong to assume distinct differences in Bolgheri such as there are in the wines of Burgundy along the route N74, for example, since blending is so prevalent here.

Bolgheri 2019 vintage conditions

The Bolgheri 2019 vintage allows us to explore such details due to its consistency. For several reasons it is proving to be a very interesting vintage in Bolgheri, deserving five stars.

‘After a normal winter, budding took place the first week of April,’ explains Axel Heinz, managing director of Ornellaia. ‘The cold and rainy conditions throughout April and May significantly slowed down the vine’s vegetative growth, leading to a 10-day delay in flowering compared to the average.

‘Very hot weather with no rain suddenly arrived in June, reaching temperature peaks of 37°C at the end of the month. The weather stayed warm and sunny throughout the summer with temperatures 2°C above average and 45 consecutive days without rain.

‘The long dry period was interrupted by two days of rain in the last week of July, bringing the temperature back to the seasonal norm, with ideal conditions for ripening. The harvest began slowly on 5 September. As usual, the last week of September brought lower temperatures, which made it possible to preserve great finesse and aromatic freshness. Sunny conditions returned after another episode of rain on 21 September which allowed us to conclude the harvest of the later ripening varieties on 4 October.’

Developments in Bolgheri

There are two new labels being released for the first time this year with the 2019 vintage: Il Castellaccio’s Bolgheri Superiore, from the great, steep subzone of Segalari, and Villanoviana’s Ferrugo label, a 100% Merlot which seems in countertrend to the region’s current fascination with Cabernet Franc.

Some of the garagistes of Bolgheri, such as Fornacelle with their Guardaboschi Bolgheri Superiore, performed quite well and compete with the great estates in 2019 without having to make severe selections.

I Greppi is worthy of attention due to improved vineyard management, while Caccia al Piano is now bottling their Bolgheri Superiore exclusively from the outstanding vineyard of San Biagio, close to the historical vineyard of Sassicaia.

But the biggest news of this vintage arrives from one of the most important wines of the area. Tasting Masseto 2019, the broad shoulders of the wine were immediately clear, with outstanding grapey tannins enriched by fine-tuned oak. Though not an official statement from the winery, Axel Heinz explained that 10% Cabernet Franc was used in the blend, giving way to a change in persona for this celebrated 100% Merlot.

‘We did it again in the 2020 vintage due to a spectacular quality of Cabernet Franc, but it is too soon to say that this will be the new blend of Masseto. We will decide year by year,’ he added. Definitive or not, for a non-Merlot enthusiast like myself, I can’t help but wonder why they didn’t make this change sooner – this 2019 is gorgeous.

In addition to Masseto’s inclusion of some Cabernet Franc for the first time, Gaja has reduced and subsequently eliminated Merlot from Ca’ Marcanda, Ornellaia has increased its percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, and Argentiera launched a 100% Cabernet Franc, ‘Ventaglio’. According to the consorzio, the hectares planted to both Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are increasing.

On the one hand, these changes have contributed to the 2019 vintage being great, while on the other hand they hide the marginality of the climate with warmer and warmer vintages. The critical positioning of vineyards in relation to the Bolgherese road should become more and more important in the future.

The Viale dei Cipressi represents the history of the area and all its beauty; the Bolgherese road represents a critical border for great and sublime wines, which in the 2019 vintage are aplenty.

Aldo’s top Bolgheri 2019 wines

See the score table with all 50 wines rated for this report

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Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2019 & 2018: New releases

Bibi Graetz Testamatta: 2000-2019 vertical

Napa Cabernet 2019: full vintage report and top-scoring wines

The annata category represents approximately two-thirds of the Chianti Classico production and it has much to offer – from some of Italy’s best value, everyday drinking wines to some of the denomination’s top examples – such as Isole e Olena and Istine’s single-vineyard bottlings.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Chianti Classico 2020 plus late releases from 2019 & 2018

The annual anteprime tasting typically takes place in mid-February, but with the rise of the Omicron variant last winter it was postponed by over a month to the end of March. During this period, many estates bottle their latest annata (which require a minimum of one year of ageing before release) in preparation for the Vinitaly trade show in Verona.

That delay of just a few weeks meant that there were more finished samples than usual. Between the many charming 2020 and numerous exciting late releases from 2019, it was hard to narrow down my recommendations.

I included a trio of 2018s not to be missed – from Le Cinciole, Val delle Corti and Castell’in Villa.

Chianti Classico 2020

Heavy rainfall late spring ended a long period without precipitation. Summer was dry and very warm without significant temperature extremes. Mid-September showers were scattered through the zone. Attractive annata with bright acidity and balanced alcohol are prime for near-term drinking.

4/5

See all 100 of Michaela’s Chianti Classico tasting notes & scores from her reports: annata, Riserva and Gran Selezione

2020 is a vintage that producers remember in great detail – for obvious reasons. Every grower I spoke to conveyed that the work in the vineyard offered reprieve during the long lockdown. While they would normally be travelling around the world to wine shows, for once they could dedicate 100% of their time to the vines. ‘It was a time to reflect,’ says Piero Lanza at Poggerino. ‘We had a beautiful spring. I remember being able to smell the aromas of ginestra.’

Budbreak was early, which is always stressful as the risk of frost damage increases. Thankfully the region was largely spared in 2020. Concern also surrounded the lack of rainfall. According to Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi at Rocca di Montegrossi in Gaiole, ‘from Christmas of 2019 until the end of May, precipitation was a rare occurrence.’

Temperatures, nevertheless, were cool and late spring brought adequate rainfall that replenished reserves. The vines marched on in regular step with annual norms. There were the necessary treatments against mildew but as Tim Manning at Montecalvi in Greve reported, ‘disease pressure was low.’

Summer was long and hot without significant heat spikes and it cooled off sufficiently at night. There was neither the hail nor major issues of water stress that plagued 2017, for example. Harvest was more or less at the same period as current averages – starting mid-September. A region-wide decrease in yields of 13% is attributed to cool April nights affecting budding. Nonetheless, some producers brought in more grapes than usual – ‘The year gave quantity and quality – two things that don’t usually go together,’ asserts Lanza.

See all of our Tuscany vintage reports

Variations

This contraction is the story of Chianti Classico. Given its diverse and hilly landscape, weather – particularly rain – varies from one valley to the next. When producers speak of a vintage, they speak of what happened in their specific pocket.

In the warm reaches of San Casciano, for example, Cigliano di Sopra’s Matteo Vaccari described the growing season as perfect, even too easy, and compared it to 2015. ‘The wine is powerful. It will need a lot of time.’

Conversely, to the south, in the hills of San Donato in Poggio, both Robin Mugnaini at Fattoria Le Masse and Laura Bianchi at Castello di Monsanto referenced mid-September rain. This meant bringing in some fruit early. ‘2020 doesn’t have the power of 2019 but the fruit was beautiful,’ says Bianchi, describing the wines as crunchy.

High up in the township of Gaiole, Alessandro Campatelli at Riecine pointed to a very short ripening window. Veraison started three weeks later than usual and instead of lasting a month was completed in two weeks. ‘There is lots of acidity and the alcohol is more contained compared to years like 2017, 2018 and 2019,’ he notes, adding that 2020 has less power.

Indeed, these variations were apparent in the wines. I enjoyed the fleshiness in examples from Cigliano di Sopra, Castagnoli and Castello La Leccia, and also appreciated trimmer, more delicate examples such as Arillo in Terrabianca, Podere Castellinuzza and Castello Monterinaldi. There is lovely acidity throughout and in many cases this gives more structure than the tannins. I also welcomed the overall balanced alcohol, which contributes immensely to the drinkability of these annata. They will offer enormous pleasure in the near-term.

Diego Finocchi at L’Erta di Radda adds further nuance to the discussion. At his estate in Radda, he recounts that the amount of rain was similar in 2019 and 2020 but it fell at different times. In 2019, refreshing showers at the end of August aided the grape’s development, while in 2020, there was little rainfall after late spring. ‘In 2019, I was able to do a longer maceration because the skins were very healthy, while in 2020, after 20 days I started to feel some bitterness coming through.’ So, according to Finocchi, the 2020 vintage required a skilled touch to manage any imbalances in ripening.

Chianti Classico comparison: 2020 vs 2019

Comparing 2020 with 2019, the latter delivers more aroma precision and flavour intensity. Additionally, while the tannins of 2019 aren’t massive, they give greater emphasis and frame and will ultimately carry the wines longer than the 2020. It remains to be seen if this will be demonstrated in later releases of 2020 annata, as well as Riserva and Gran Selezione bottlings.

Michaela’s top picks of Chianti Classico 2020 plus late releases from 2019 & 2018

See all 100 of Michaela’s Chianti Classico tasting notes & scores from her reports

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A guide to Chianti Classico’s new sub-zones

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione: panel tasting results

The new Super-Italians: 12 essential, new-wave Italian wines

Brunello di Montalcino 2017: 3.5

Extreme heat and drought conditions made even ripening a challenge. Overall, freshness is preserved, although dry tannins do poke through. Most wines will show their best over the next five to eight years.

When I visited Montalcino in late August of 2017, the heat was stifling and the landscape parched.

Banfi’s sizeable artificial lake used for emergency irrigation was almost depleted. Harvest was already underway for Merlot and there were whispers that some estates had started picking Sangiovese as well.

One winemaker described the fermenting vats as jam.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the best Brunello di Montalcino 2017 wines

2017: The ‘desert’ vintage

‘From June until the end of August, there were almost 20 days above 35°C,’ says Francesco Ripaccioli at Canalicchio di Sopra.

More than the torrid heat, however, it is drought that characterises the 2017 vintage. ‘It didn’t rain for three months,’ recalls Katia Nussbaum at San Polino. ‘It was like a desert.’ Moreover, the scarcity of water wasn’t just limited to the summer months – lower-than-average rainfall was recorded from the start of the year.

Though arid conditions and soaring temperatures meant that mildew wasn’t an issue in 2017, water stress certainly was. More than ever, it was crucial to keep enough leaves on the vines to shade the grapes.

Fabian Schwartz at La Magia avoided thinning bunches so as not to over-concentrate the berries, and Bernardino Sani identified several changes Tenuta di Argiano has made since 2013 such as soil revitalisation, organic viticulture and less dense plantings. ‘This helped a lot in reducing the impact of drought on the grapes.’ Still, the estate produced 30% less than average.

Francesca Bindocci pointed to ‘the intelligent use of emergency irrigation,’ as Il Poggione is fortunate enough to have a few artificial lakes on its property.

Producers let out a collective sigh of relief when it finally rained at the beginning of September. There was another downpour mid-month. Significantly, precipitation was accompanied by a drop in temperatures, particularly at night, which served to slow down ripening. ‘This allowed us to arrive at harvest with good ripeness of grapes, polyphenols and seeds,’ shares Sara Rossi at Padelletti.

Ripaccioli refers to an evaluation called the Fregoni index, which measures the difference between day and nighttime temperatures in the 30 days leading up to harvest. ‘In 2017, the Fregoni index recorded the same values as in 2016,’ he says, explaining that significant diurnal differences helped preserve acidity.

Both Padelletti and Canalicchio di Sopra were among those who harvested mid- to late-September – essentially the same timing as in other recent vintages. Yet Montalcino’s vineyards vary in microclimate, altitude and exposition. ‘Not to say that one is better than another, but high and cool sites have an advantage in hot years,’ states Andrea Costanti, who started picking on 20 September.

Other estates couldn’t wait. ‘Leaving the grapes on the vine wouldn’t have made any difference. Instead, they would have started shrivelling,’ says Schwartz, who started picking a full three weeks early.

A balancing act

Situated in the southwest, Il Poggione kicked off harvest on 1 September. Likewise, Caparzo began the following day in its southernmost plot. Both admit that this meant sacrificing full phenolic ripeness and compensated by getting rid of unripe seeds from the fermentation vats. ‘Eliminating these was the biggest challenge in the winery but also the most important technical step that allowed us to obtain wine with less aggressive tannins,’ explains Caparzo’s Massimo Bracalente.

The vintage also demanded strict sorting to remove sunburnt or dried grapes that might lend astringency or bitterness. ‘We did a lot of pre-pick selection in the field,’ declares Laura Gray at Il Palazzone, ‘and our vibrating sorting table proved invaluable.’

Managing the vintage’s tricky tannins is definitely a leitmotif. Vinification saw many winemakers playing with shorter maceration times, cooler fermentation temperatures and gentler extractions. Exact combinations varied by estate.

‘We were able to keep the maceration up to one month, so rather than shorten the extraction, we preferred to make it softer,’ says Riccardo Fratton at San Polo. Conversely, Andrea Costanti describes doing ‘more extraction than usual and a long cold-maceration post fermentation.’

While cooler fermentation temperatures were often favoured to preserve freshness, Andrea Machetti at Mastrojanni was cautious not to let them get too cold. ‘The problem was getting the sugar to ferment to dryness,’ he explains.

The balancing act continued throughout maturation, with some estates curbing oxidative ageing through less time in wood and selecting larger barrels. Sani reduced ageing time in cask to the denomination’s minimum. ‘It was essential in this year to avoid adding tannin to an already less balanced wine and to preserve freshness on the nose,’ he states.

Differing approaches

Brunello di Montalcino requires 24 months in cask but 2017 called that into question – at least for Andrea Lonardi at Val di Suga. ‘In vintages like this, I would like to avoid going over 12 to 18 months,’ he admits.

The 2017 vintage also revealed diverging philosophies regarding estates’ ‘selection’ bottlings. Val di Suga usually comes out with three, highlighting different sectors of Montalcino. ‘2017 wasn’t a year to come out with a cru,’ declares Lonardi. ‘There wasn’t enough tension.’

At La Fiorita, it was a question of quantity and quality. ‘We only made two-thirds of our average production – no selection, no Riserva – and we even sold off some of our wine in bulk,’ says Luigi Peroni.

Conversely, Tommaso Cortonesi insisted on bottling the estate’s parcels in the southeast and north separately. ‘It is important that our wines have a strong connection to their vineyard, terrain and microclimate. And they must convey their life path of that vintage,’ he explains. At San Polo, the winery’s two single vineyards are side by side. ‘We thought it was worth producing our selections to show the potential of our vineyards, even in a difficult vintage,’ Fratton rationalises.

A number of these ‘selections’ are among my top picks. However, as in previous years, not all are necessarily better than a producer’s estate bottling. The issue in 2017 is that in some cases, bottling a selection seemed to impoverish the estate bottling.

See the score table featuring all 80 Brunello di Montalcino 2017 plus five 2016 late releases

Brunello di Montalcino 2017: Top 10 producers

Biondi-Santi

Biondi-Santi’s late releases of the 2016 Brunello and 2015 Riserva were born during the transition period between Franco Biondi-Santi’s death and new ownership, and are a testament to the excellent management by the incoming team. Also look out for the limited re-release of the bracing and tenacious 1985 Riserva.

Canalicchio di Sopra

A great showing from this dynamic property, with equally estimable estate and selection Brunellos as well as one of the best 2016 Riservas.

Castello Romitorio

Filippo Chia proposes an accomplished duo of 2017 Brunello, but it is the two 2016 Riserva that really shine amidst the estate’s new releases.

Conti Costanti

Andrea Costanti’s 2017 Brunello exudes confidence and a skilled reading of the vintage. The same can be said of his 2016 Riserva.

Gianni Brunelli

Pretty fragrances, freshness and deftly managed tannins are among the highlights of this estate’s 2017. As for the 2016 Riserva, it dials it up a notch from last year’s 2016 annata release.

Il Marroneto

Alessandro Mori’s Madonna delle Grazie is one of the top wines of the vintage and his estate bottling isn’t far behind. Both are a tribute to tireless work in the vineyard and faithfulness to his naturalista philosophy.

Le Chiuse

Lorenzo Magnelli has managed to coax the very best from the challenging 2017 vintage. He has also come out with a seductive yet sophisticated 2012 Riserva that more than holds its own next to the parade of stunning 2016s.

Le Ragnaie

Riccardo Campinoti’s Casanovina Montosoli is the finest of his solid 2017 lineup. Of note too, is the first Brunello release from his Passo del Lume Spento vineyard, which sits at over 600 metres.

Poggio di Sotto

Shorter macerations and less time in wood than usual were wise decisions here. The 2017 annata still captures Poggio di Sotto’s style and the 2016 Riserva is worthy of its category.

San Polo

Marilisa Allegrini’s Montalcino property has gone from strength to strength since the arrival of winemaker Riccardo Fratton in 2015, with the introduction of two single-vineyard bottlings the same year and organic certification as of 2017.

Brunello di Montalcino 2017: conclusions

Overall, heroic efforts in the vineyard and cellar are evident as numerous wines demonstrate greater freshness than anticipated. Although several are clumsily pushing 15% plus, alcohol levels are no more problematic than in 2015. Instead, the heat shows through in a macerated fruit quality. The vintage’s aridity is echoed in dry tannins, although these are more or less pronounced depending on picking times and extraction regimes. While the wines may lack the precision and intricate details of the best vintages, they are exuberant, immediate and upfront in their charms.

Wines from cooler sites stand out in 2017. These typically boast mitigating factors like higher altitudes, exposures oriented to the north or east, cooling breezes and/or surrounding woodlands. Top examples such as Il Marroneto’s Madonna delle Grazie and Le Potazzine almost belie the vintage with their grace. From the north, Le Chiuse, Canalicchio di Sopra and Conti Costanti are skillfully composed, while in Baricci and Le Ragnaie’s Casanovina bottling, the hallowed terroir of Montosoli shines through. Equally laudable offerings from more southerly locales include Gianni Brunelli and San Polo’s Podernovi. These make the 2017 vintage worth buying.

Alongside the 2017s, I tasted a few late-release 2016s, including excellent showings from Casanova di Neri’s Cerretalto, Mastrojanni’s Schiena d’Asino and Lisini’s Ugolaia. Above all, the shape of the wines is distinct in the two vintages. While 2016 stretches out expansively across the palate, 2017 is compressed and stubbier.

‘The ugly truth is that there was little you could do. You couldn’t have an elegant Brunello in 2017,’ declares Lorenzo Magnelli at Le Chiuse. Nevertheless, he identifies its sensibility. ‘The beauty of 2017 is that it’s very direct.’

Indeed, the wines wear the vintage candidly on their sleeves. They will also be best in the short term. When I tasted these in November, many still needed a bit more time in bottle for tannins to resolve, but by the time they are available for purchase, most should be ready to drink. You could tuck the best away for a year or two, but even these will give most of their pleasure early on. The 2017 vintage is ideal for anyone who doesn’t have the patience or means to store long-term.

Brunello di Montalcino 2017: top-scoring wines

See all 80 Brunello di Montalcino 2017 wines plus five 2016 late releases

See all 80 Brunello di Montalcino 2017 wines plus five 2016 late releases

View all Tuscany vintage reports

Take note, all trend-following wine lovers: the Devil drinks Bolgheri 2018.

The 2018 vintage in Italy was indeed a gift from the devil. A naturally lighter vintage from this renowned area on the coast of Tuscany, thanks to a fresh spring and moderate summer, the conditions were perfect for producing perfumed, less extracted and graceful wines.

Bolgheri 2018

The 2018 vintage deserves 4 out of 5 stars, due to the concentration, which albeit lower than normal for Bolgheri, is enough to produce classic wines suitable for the long haul.

4/5

But let’s back up. To understand this harvest, it is necessary to start with the hot and dry 2017 vintage.

Looking back at 2017

As a result of the warm conditions in 2017, there was high fertility for the buds in 2018 which resulted in higher yields. We will come back to this point later. In contrast with past years, the winter of 2017/18 was cold, with temperatures below zero bringing a return to classic climatic conditions and useful winter rest for the vines, also reducing pests.

‘The 2017 spring will be remembered as one of the wettest in history, with three times the seasonal average rainfall and high temperatures in April,’ commented Olga Fusari, Ornellaia’s winemaker.

‘Despite late budbreak,’ she added, ‘the weather conditions and rapid growth of the shoots enabled the vines to catch up and bloom a week earlier than anticipated. For the entire month of May and – to a lesser extent – June, rainfall remained above average and it was only in July that we received some respite with warm and dry conditions.’

Back to 2018, and while July and August were as warm as in 2017 they were not as dry. September also saw temperatures above the average, however the overall balance of the season and the moderate rainfalls of August enabled the vines to recover due to the cooling at night.

Bolgheri performed well

A bright, intense aromatic expression with graceful extraction and outstanding balance seem to be indicative of the vintage. Compared, for example, to the other ageable red wines of Italy – many of which are Sangiovese or Nebbiolo-based, both indigenous grapes – Bolgheri and its international varieties performed well.

In most of the wines you won’t find the nervy character of Chianti Classico or the lean nature of Barbaresco. The sandy soils of Bolgheri help Cabernet Sauvignon achieve its own balance while the moderate temperatures and clay soils allow the Merlot to mature slowly and to be harvested after a longer growing season. In the case of the 2018 vintage, this meant in September instead of August.

The proximity to the sea (just over three miles) and the tight, omnipresent winds here gave the grapes a proper concentration in the lighter vintage. However, in some cases it seems to be that the deliciously leaner character of 2018 was overpowered by higher yields resulting in unbalanced wines.

There were two main factors in favour of higher yields. On one side, the concern about the potential for disease due to the extraordinary rainfalls in the spring encouraged producers to preserve a greater amount of grapes on the vine. On the other side, some producers fought to rebound from the low yields of the previous year caused by drought.

Merlot on the rise

For these reasons, there’s decisive variability (more so than usual) in the 2018 vintage between high-end and emerging producers. Also favoured were those who grow a majority of Merlot, who sought revenge over Cabernet Sauvignon. The supple fruit of the former performed well compared to the firm structure of the latter, giving the wine meat over its bones.

Merlot is on the rise in Bolgheri. According to the Consorzio di Tutela Bolgheri e Bolgheri Sassicaia, the entire area planted to vine within the appellation today accounts for 1,542 hectares (10.8% of the total surface area of the municipality). 88.1% of the planted hectares are dedicated to DOC Bolgheri (1,359 ha), 75.4% of which is for red wines. Just 11.9% of the vineyards are outside of the DOC production.

Compared to 2018 the planted vineyards have increased by 12.6%. Today there are 10.9% more hectares of Merlot compared to 2018 which translates to an increase from 484 to 526.9 ha.

The variety now amounts to 22.2% of the total appellation as of 2021. While easy to write off as another outcome of global warming given that Merlot is an early ripening grape in the Mediterranean climate of Bolgheri, there are several wines that prove the outstanding quality of this variety on the soils of this part of the Tuscan Coast, renowned for the blue clay discovered by André Tchelistcheff in the mid-1980s on which Masseto is produced.

It’s worth noting that both Masseto and Messorio in this vintage are outstanding. Ornellaia was exceptionally blended with a majority of Merlot, a phenomenon never before seen in this typically Cabernet-driven blend.

Despite the enthusiasm for the so-called ‘Merlot vintage’ of 2018, the rising star in Bolgheri is without a doubt Cabernet Franc. In the dry and windy vineyards of this area, there are few challenges with ripening this grape variety. Its distinctly herbal characteristic in Bolgheri lends a tell-tale cedar note to the wines, rarely expressing pyrazines such as bell pepper but rather a touch of bitterness which increases the length of the wines.

Since 2018 Cabernet Franc plantings have almost doubled, increasing by 54.8%, from 158 to 244.6 hectares. Cabernet Franc is a historical component of the most representative wine of Bolgheri: Sassicaia. The 2018 Sassicaia is the 50th edition officially produced by Tenuta San Guido (although the marquise has bottled it since 1948).

Lucky number 8

‘The 2018 reminds me of the 1988 vintage when it was released,’ said Carlo Paoli, the managing director of Tenuta San Guido. ‘It has the same fresh character. This confirms the luck of number 8 for Tenuta San Guido. It’s shown well in 2008, 1998, 1988 and naturally 1968; our debut vintage.’

The graceful style of the 2018 vintage matches quite well with the signature elegance of Sassicaia. This wine is almost always very different from the others of the appellation due to its sinuous nature, as opposed to those more aggressively powerful. This explains why some producers didn’t favour 2018 compared to the more concentrated 2017 or 2019. But the response from consumers, those truly passionate and not simply following trends, offers a different story.

Best buys:

• Le Crocine 57022
• Fabio Motta Le Gonnare
• Poggio al Tesoro Sondraia
• Villanoviana Sant’Uberto

Top wines:

• Sassicaia
• Masseto
• Messorio
• Guado al Tasso
• Ornellaia
  

Bolgheri 2018: 35 wines rated:

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Sitting at the top of the pyramid, Chianti Classico’s Gran Selezione classification is inevitably fraught with high expectations. The question is, do the wines live up to them? The answer is not straightforward.

Scroll down for Michaela’s top Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2018 picks, plus 2017 and 2016 late releases

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2018

In terms of new releases, my impressions echo those of their Riserva counterparts.

Among the small sampling of 2018 Gran Selezione, the wines demonstrated more overt structure than the annata but with the gracious tannins and fruit of the vintage. Oak was often dialled up, though by no means de-facto.

Bibbiano’s Vigna del Capannino allows a sense of place to shine through, and in Il Molino di Grace’s predominantly new barrique-aged Il Margone, the wood is well-integrated.

These first releases suggest 10 to 12 years of cellaring potential.

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2017

As with the 2017 Riserva, there were many successes among the 2017 Gran Selezione.

A standout, Fèlsina’s Colonia harnesses the extremes of the vintage with confidence and admirable poise.

Others, like Le Miccine practically defy it with freshness and elegance.

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2016

Alongside the 2018s and 2017s were a handful of 2016s from producers who choose to hold back their Gran Selezione for longer before release.

These examples underscored the accomplishment of the 2016 vintage, with Castello di Monsanto and Rocca di Montegrossi’s Vigneto San Marcellino standing shoulder to shoulder with previously released top scorers.

Sticking points

Wine quality aside, I was disheartened by the number of heavy bottles – both at the Gran Selezione and Riserva levels. Chianti Classico is a leader in sustainability and biodiversity, with 40% of production now certified organic. The region’s top wines should reflect these values. While many do, those in unnecessarily heavy bottles are incongruous.

As for the bigger picture – does Gran Selezione represent the best of the region?

There is no doubt that some of the denomination’s top wines sit at this level, while others – although adhering to the letter of the law – don’t seem to add anything to the idea of being the highest quality classification.

In some cases, I preferred a producer’s Riserva, or found more value in the annata.

In a denomination with over 500 estates of various shapes and sizes, it is challenging for a newly created topmost designation to achieve one-size-fits-all.

According to Tim Schefenacker at Castagnoli, the classification allows larger wineries to showcase their best company wine. ‘It goes without saying that there are some great wines made, but I think the criteria and definition of Gran Selezione is quite contrary to our philosophy and style,’ he says.

Like various other estates, Castagnoli’s top wine is an IGT. Which means that some of the region’s greatest wines still sit outside the denomination.

Change is in the air

Seething underneath all of this is ‘a smell of change,’ describes Le Cinciole’s Luca Orsini. The growers’ consortium is presently working to tighten Gran Selezione regulations.

The proposed requirements would see an increased minimum of Sangiovese from its current 80% and the possible elimination of international grape varieties.

In tandem with this, is a potential, long awaited sub-zonation of the region.

Officially called Unità Geografiche Aggiuntive or UGA, it would essentially be based on existing communes. Alas, at the moment this is only being tabled for Gran Selezione which represents just 6% of Chianti Classico’s production.

As the above proposals have yet to pass, it remains to be seen if they will be enough to lure eligible IGT wines into Chianti Classico’s Gran Selezione fold. Nevertheless, it has encouraged Orsini to upgrade Le Cinciole’s Aluigi bottling from Riserva to Gran Selezione with the just released, excellent 2016.

His decision precedes any official change but is rooted in the hope that ‘in the future this classification will put greater emphasis on territory and typicity,’ states Orsini.

Top Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2018 wines plus late releases:

View all 28 Gran Selezione wines tasted

View all 28 Gran Selezione wines

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Sitting between high-calibre annata and ambitious Gran Selezione, Riserva runs the risk of being Chianti Classico’s middle child. And, in some respects, the category does have a bit of an identity crisis.

Riserva represents 32% of Chianti Classico’s production. According to Francesco Mazzei at Castello di Fonterutoli, sales are booming thanks in part to the success of the Gran Selezione category. ‘Gran Selezione is the magnet that attracts people to try the quality of Chianti Classico, and the Riserva are more affordable,’ he declares.

Nevertheless, among the new releases, several producers already showing 2018 Gran Seleziones were just coming out with their 2017 Riserva.

Scroll down for Michaela’s top Chianti Classico Riserva 2018 wines – plus late releases from 2017

How do the categories compare?

On the one hand, over-performing annata from 2018 and 2019 eclipse the handful of underperforming Riserva. This may be due in part to the fact that some producers don’t even make a Riserva, instead crafting an annata that essentially meets the former’s production standards.

Marco Ricasoli-Firidolfi at Rocca di Montegrossi is among those who skip the Riserva level. ‘I find that there is little difference between Riserva and Gran Selezione,’ he explains, referring to ageing requirements of 24 versus 30 months respectively.

Conversely, the Riserva category also includes many of the denomination’s finest wines. Among these are wines from producers who eschew the Gran Selezione classification, declaring their top Chianti Classico as a Riserva.

Chianti Classico Riserva 2018

The 2018 Chianti Classico Riserva wines mirrored the heterogeneous nature of the vintage found in the annata.

There are lithe examples – illustrated by Castellina di Castellare and Bibbiano – as well as plump, warm expressions offered by Castagnoli and Riecine. A couple felt like they had the edges knocked off, leaving me thirsting for a bit more drama, but overall they are an affable and beguiling bunch.

Once again, careful vineyard selection and picking dates were key in areas affected by rain.

In Radda, Poggerino’s Piero Lanza had to bring in fruit from more humid plots early – in mid-September – due to the threat of botrytis and acid rot. However, less prone parcels including his Riserva vineyard were harvested later – between 25 September and 11 October. ‘I obtained a wine with more structure, higher alcohol and aromas of mature red fruit,’ he maintains.

In Gaiole, Riecine’s Alessandro Campatelli reported less rain in August than Radda (76 mm compared to 200mm) as well as high diurnal temperature ranges leading up to harvest in October. ‘2018 will likely be highly regarded in the future thanks to its acidity levels that will give it much life ahead,’ he asserts.

Ageability is certainly a desired trait in a Riserva. Of the 2018s I’ve tried so far, they are already accessible with seven to ten years of cellaring potential.

Chianti Classico Riserva 2017

In my tastings this year, the most delightful surprises came from the 2017 Riserva. In general, the wines served to highlight the skill of the region’s winemakers. The characteristics of the hot, dry vintage were certainly on display with an inevitable concentration of all elements. Some demonstrated unresolved tannins, but few were lacking acidity.

The top performers, like San Giusto a Rentennano and Monte Bernardi, captured the arid warmth while achieving striking balance. Others that stood out hail from cooler zones, such as Erta di Radda and Val delle Corti, both in Radda.

While I don’t feel that Riserva always guarantees a step up from annata, I do believe that many approach the level of Gran Selezione. Above all, amongst both the 2017 and 2018 vintages there are plenty of Riserva wines with a well-defined and singular identity.

Top Chianti Classico Riserva 2018 and late releases:

View all 24 Chianti Classico Riserva wines tasted

View all 24 wines tasted

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Chianti Classico’s ‘Collection’ tasting is an annual opportunity for professionals to get to grips with the newest vintages on the market, providing an opportunity to assess hundreds of wines from the famous denomination.

This year’s tasting ‘Collection’ event is currently touring the globe, taking Chianti Classico wines to the cities of London, Munich, New York, Tokyo, Chicago, and – of course – Florence, allowing the usual crowd of sommeliers, buyers and critics an opportunity to taste these new wines despite restrictions on international travel.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring, newly-released Chianti Classico wines

Chianti Classico latest releases in 2021 include Chianti Classico annata 2019, Chianti Classico Riserva 2018, and Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2018. Yet many producers choose to mature their wines for longer than the minimum requirements before release, and so we also find wines from 2017 and even 2016 in bottle for the first time.

This report was planned before any of the big Tuscan tastings were announced. In a normal year I would spend a couple of weeks touring the region, visiting producers and attending tastings of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, before compiling the reports for Decanter readers.

Confusion reigned supreme earlier this year, however, and there had been no confirmation that any of the usual tastings would take place or that international travel would be allowed.

So, with the help from Canadian importers and the producers themselves, I was able to amass a large selection of wines at my base in Vancouver from which I was able to produce this set of reports.

The result is a fantastic dive into each of Tuscany’s major denominations.

The 2021 Tuscany reports:

Chianti Classico 2019 plus late releases

Chianti Classico Riserva 2018 plus late releases 

Chianti Classico Gran Selezione 2018 plus late releases

Brunello di Montalcino 2016: vintage report and top wines

Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2015: vintage report and top wines

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2018 and Riserva 2017: vintage report and top wines

About Chianti Classico

Chianti Classico has a three-tier classification: annata, Riserva and Gran Selezione.

Quality has improved dramatically in the 25 years since producers were first allowed to make pure Sangiovese wines (since 1996). Marking another step up in quality, white grapes were banned in 2005.

In 2014, the Gran Selezione category was introduced to much fanfare, although a proportion of producers remain sceptical and prefer to bottle their top wines as Riserva – or even IGT – instead.

Standout Chianti Classico producers:

Rocca di Montegrossi: Consistently excellent quality at both the annata and Gran Selezione levels.

Istine: Angela Fronti’s annata is one of Chianti Classico’s best value wines, and her vineyard selections are among the region’s top examples.

Monte Bernardi: Michael Schmelzer crafts non-conformist wines that still speak clearly to the region.

L’Erta di Radda: An up-and-coming boutique producer making fresh, understated yet nuanced wines in Radda.

Castello di Monsanto: This renowned estate shows a steady progression across Chianti Classico’s three categories in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 vintages.

Chianti Classico value picks:

Castello di Gabbiano, Cavaliere d’Oro, Chianti Classico 2018: Winemaker Federico Cerelli oversees a friendly, well-priced annata as well as a highly affordable and satisfying Gran Selezione.

Ricasoli, Brolio, Chianti Classico 2019: Impressive quality for a production of almost 500,000 bottles.

Castello di Ama, Ama, Chianti Classico 2019: The 2019 Ama seriously over-delivers for its price point and its classification.

Istine, Chianti Classico 2018: Mostly Radda fruit with a little bit from Gaiole, this is one of the region’s best-value Chianti Classicos.

Chianti Classico releases 2021: top scorers

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Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2018 and Riserva 2017

If 2017 was shaped by frost and drought, Montepulciano’s 2018 vintage can be characterised by its two distinct phases during the growing season.

The heavy rainfall in February and March that replenished severely depleted reserves continued until mid-July. Then, in an about-face, the weather became dry and windy. August through October boasted higher-than-average temperatures and below-average precipitation.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2018 and Riserva 2017 wines

The wet weather of the early season made vineyard management tricky. Peronospora was a constant threat: ‘It meant having to spray much more often,’ says Luca De Ferrari at Boscarelli, estimating a total of 13 to 14 treatments.

Furthermore, the vines were ‘hungover’ from the drought conditions of 2017. Development was irregular and slow at first, followed by sudden vigorous growth. The resulting clusters were compact and tight with large berries. Growers were concerned about botrytis but this was largely averted thanks to clement weather during veraison and leading up to harvest.

Favourable conditions late in the season encouraged even ripening. ‘We were able to pick with the right phenolic ripeness early October,’ asserts Giuseppe Rigoli, winemaker at Gracciano della Seta. And at Valdipiatta, Miriam Caporali explains that a dry September made it possible to spread the harvest over the entire month.

Nonetheless, late-September rain challenged some. Though not dissatisfied with the vintage, Michele Manelli at Salcheto admits to being a bit squeezed, saying that the vines never completely caught up after the cooler temperatures early in the summer. ‘We would have waited a few more days to harvest but it wasn’t possible because of sanitary pressure,’ he says. Marco Malavasi at Il Molinaccio concurs, asserting that ‘2018 was a good year but not good enough to produce a Riserva.’

How do the Vino Nobile 2018s taste?

Complications due to the pandemic meant that I tasted far fewer Vino Nobile di Montepluciano wines than in normal years. Several estates had yet to bottle their 2018s at the time of writing, but the handful I did taste were from producers that I believe to be among the best in the zone.

The wines showed lovely definition of aromas, vibrancy and balanced alcohol. A couple of producers described the wines as slender, and they are certainly finer-framed than 2017 and less plush than 2015.

In some examples, the tannins are still a bit austere, but became friendlier after being open for a day.

Give these a few more months in bottle to knit together then drink over the next five to eight years. I look forward to assessing the full potential of this vintage when the 2018 Riservas, vineyard selections and late-releases come onto the market next year.

The dozen Riservas, and others, I did taste this time around allowed me to revisit 2017.

There is no doubt that in this hot, dry year it was a challenge balancing tannin ripeness and alcohol levels. In a few wines, pronounced oak exaggerates the fruit ripeness. Nevertheless, there were some pleasant surprises, and both Boscarelli and Dei even managed to capture Sangiovese’s beautiful aromatic intricacies.

Pieve: a new category

My tasting of these new releases coincided with the announcement of a third category of Vino Nobile do Montepulciano (somewhat analogous to Chianti Classico’s Gran Selezione).

The new designation, called ‘Pieve’, divides Montepulciano into 12 subzones. For a wine to qualify, it must be made from an estate’s own grapes, contain a minimum of 85% Sangiovese complemented by indigenous grapes only, and pass an analytic tasting commission. Among the dozen producers I spoke to, excitement for the project is palpable.

The name, however, will be a mouthful. Already, as of the 2018 vintage, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano must now include the indication ‘Toscana’ on the label to distinguish the wine from the unrelated Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The addition of ‘Pievi’ or a named subzone to that will be a lot to swallow. However, if it truly serves to elevate the region and its wines, then it is a giant step in the right direction.

With a minimum ageing requirement of 36 months, the inaugural Pieve releases from 2020 will not hit the market until 2024. In the meantime, it is clear that a growing number of the region’s producers have already made significant efforts to improve quality. If you have yet to venture into Vino Nobile, now is the time to do so.

Stand-out producers

Boscarelli: An impressive set of Riserva and single-vineyard bottlings demonstrate rare finesse in 2007.

Tenuta di Gracciano della Seta: Consistently elegant, and excellent value for money.

Il Molinaccio: An up-and-coming, boutique producer making unique but tasty wines.

Top Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2018 and Riserva 2017 wines:

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Brunello di Montalcino 2016: vintage report and top wines

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Brunello di Montalcino 2016: vintage report

Vintage rating: 5/5

Warm but not excessive, with sufficient well timed precipitation and significant diurnal temperature differences. The 2016 vintage offers structured, ageworthy wines with profound depth, soaring acidity and plenty of drinking pleasure.

With this latest release of Brunello, it is finally Montalcino’s moment to bask in the glories of Tuscany’s 2016 vintage. ‘If we could control the weather by thermostat, 2016 is exactly how we would set it,’ declares Francesco Ripaccioli at Canalicchio di Sopra.

Scroll down for Michaela Morris’ 26 top-scoring Brunello di Montalcino 2016 tasting notes and scores

The 2016 vintage

The vintage came together with the ideal combination of rain, sun and temperatures. Winter was sufficiently cold for vines to recuperate, then a rainy spring encouraged healthy growth and bolstered water reserves. The summer was dry and warm, without significant heat spikes. ‘It wasn’t too hot; it wasn’t too dry – it was just right,’ says Riccardo Campinoti at Le Ragnaie.

The average precipitation during the growing season was 700mm. ‘We had a fair amount of rain but at the right moments,’ explains Tina Tassi at Tassi di Franci Franca.

Above all, August and September boasted substantial differences between day and nighttime temperatures. ‘You really felt this in the north,’ says Gianlorenzo Neri at Casanova di Neri, where he cites temperatures of 29°C in the day versus 14 to 15°C at night. ‘You had to go out with a sweater or a jacket in the evening,’ he recounts, adding that nights in the south were about 3°C warmer – still markedly cooler than its daytime temperatures.

This pronounced diurnal temperature range encouraged long, slow ripening. Harvest started mid-September in the warm southwest and finished up a month later in the coolest pockets at the highest elevations. ‘We were able to harvest each vineyard at the opportune moment,’ asserts Roberto Ruscito at Castiglion del Bosco.

Nevertheless, the year was not completely stress free.

While a wet June encouraged vine growth, it also increased the risk of vine disease. ‘Phytosanitary control kept us busy,’ acknowledges Sara Rossi at Padalletti. The rain also affected fruit-set according to Alessia Salvioni. However, this wasn’t serious enough to negatively impact yields, 2016 being in general not quite as abundant as 2015 but still fairly generous.

Mildew was a concern during rainy periods later in the season. ‘If you didn’t pay attention, Peronospora could destroy the bunches,’ explains Neri. Mercifully, drying winds from the north gave growers a helping hand.

In late-ripening areas, localised rain in mid-September prompted debates about whether to start harvesting. Producers who waited were rewarded by the return of good weather and brought in healthy, phenolically ripe grapes.

It is impossible not to size up 2016 against its highly touted, immediate predecessor, and it seems temperatures made the difference.

‘In 2015, there were about 10 days at 38°C during the phenolic ripening,’ says Ripaccioli. Conversely, in 2016 temperatures never exceeded 35°C. Yet 2016 was far from a cool vintage. Although it was less extreme in heat than the flanking vintages of 2015 and 2017, it follows the general warming trend in Montalcino.

Fighting the heat

Of note, as of 2016, vineyards above 600 metres – which were previously deemed unsuitable for ripening Sangiovese – have been admitted into the denomination. Mostly concentrated in the Passo del Lume Spento area, these currently represent a miniscule percentage of plantings.

Montalcino’s savviest growers have been adjusting to increasing temperatures over a number of years. Strategies include de-leafing later in the season; keeping ground cover in alternative rows; and – while it might sound counterintuitive to quality – cropping at slightly higher yields. ‘In vintages where we are looking for more freshness, we increase from 5,000kg (38hL/ha) to 7,000kg (48hL/ha),’ says Bernardino Sani, CEO of Argiano in Montalcino’s southwest.

In an effort to curb over-concentration Argiano, along with other estates, are also replanting at lower densities. As benevolent as Mother Nature was in 2016, the high quality achieved by many Montalcino estates is due in part to such efforts in the vineyard.

Enthusiasm for 2016 has been stewing for years among Montalcino’s producers. It was hard for them not to talk about 2016 when the 2015s were released last year. My expectations were also set high by promising barrel samples on previous visits.

View all the recent Brunello di Montalcino 2016 tasting notes, plus some 2015 late releases

Brunello 2016 character

Tasting the now bottled 2016s was an absolute pleasure. I tasted almost 100 wines between January and April at my home in Vancouver, Canada.

Overall, I love the vintage’s freshness of acidity. It makes the wines ring out as clear as a bell.

The tannins are formidable but not stern or foreboding. Alas, not every wine was great: a few were surprisingly lean and lacking while others were overly brawny and heady in alcohol. Nonetheless, there were many fantastic examples offering extraordinary depth, detail and balance.

I also noted several wines that performed better than ever – including Argiano, Pian delle Vigne, Sesta di Sopra and Silvio Nardi’s Manachiara.

Above all, the 2016 vintage demonstrated Montalcino’s varied terroir, with wines speaking clearly of its diverse sectors.

Not all sites are equal, but I didn’t feel that one particular zone fared better than any other. There were successes throughout the region, and quality disparities also came down to specific producers. Among my top wines were a number of ‘selections’ – bottlings from a single parcel, lot or selected grapes. However, these are not always better than the classic bottling and in some cases I preferred the latter.

The 2016s are modern classics. While they don’t have the immediate accessibility that characterised 2015, you don’t have to wait long to enjoy them. I wouldn’t turn down a glass of the Altesino or Ciacci Piccolomini in the near future. In the same breath, the 2016s possess the density of fruit, piercing acidity and emphatic tannins to age. They can be tucked away for a couple of decades, and in some cases even longer: I would bank on Fuligni, Il Marroneto’s Madonna delle Grazie, Il Poggione and Le Chiuse for the long haul.

In comparison to 2015, fewer Brunellos were prematurely evolved, though several barrique-aged wines demonstrated oxidative nuances. I questioned how long these would age despite their ample structure.

I also tried a small handful of late releases from 2015. Tasting them alongside the 2016s, the softness and generosity of 2015 was all the more apparent. Nevertheless, these are appealing wines and certainly Biondi-Santi’s example demonstrated a rare firmness for the vintage.

As I finished up my tastings at the beginning of April, Montalcino was battling one of its worst frosts in 20 years. While quality will depend on conditions in the coming months, quantities will surely be down. It is a stark reminder that few years are as painless as 2016.

When a vintage like this comes along, producers rightly revel in it. And with so many impressive wines, Brunello-lovers should absolutely buy up!

Standout Brunello producers in 2016:

Fuligni produced the top wine for me in 2016 – elegant in its power with great complexity and the vintage’s radiant acidity.

Il Marroneto continues to impress, not just with the Madonna delle Grazie selection but the estate bottling as well.

Le Ragnaie crafted four solid and distinct Brunello, skillfully demonstrating the region’s diverse territory.

San Polino’s conscientious vineyard practises surpass organic and biodynamic protocols, and the wines are expressively pure Sangiovese.

Casanova di Neri releases a trio of polished and pristine Brunello, with the 2015 standing proudly alongside the 2016.

Value picks

Il Poggione (95): With a production of 200,000 bottles, this is an excellent ambassador for the region and vintage.

Altesino (94): A delightful, drinkable yet durable Brunello.

Argiano (93): 2016 is the best estate bottling of Brunello from Argiano in recent memory.

Top Brunello di Montalcino 2016:

View all 93 Brunello 2016 tasting notes, plus some 2015 late releases

View all 93 Brunello 2016 tasting notes, plus some 2015 late releases

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Brunello di Montalcino 2004: a retrospective

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My arrival in Montalcino in late 2004 to write a Tuscan travel guide was well timed.

My first visit was to see a winemaker friend from my Bordeaux days, Hans Vinding-Diers, then winemaker at Tenuta di Argiano. His excitement about 2004 was palpable, and it was no surprise that 2004 garnered the top five-star rating from the Montalcino region’s consorzio.

In 2004 it was clear Sangiovese had ripened beautifully across the vast 94 square mile expanse that is Montalcino. Sugar and acidity levels were generally spot on and the resulting wines were perfectly toned, with no flabbiness and no alcohol afterburn.

Scroll down for Monty Waldin’s tasting notes and scores for Brunello di Montalcino 2004

Pristine grapes enabled leisurely macerations. Extracting tannin, colour and flavour posed scant risk of bitterness: the malleable tannins made for Brunellos with notable silkiness, a key attribute of great Sangiovese; colours were bright limpid crimson, neither oddly opaque nor worryingly transparent; and fruit expression was clear, with pristine, mouthwatering, direct flavours.

The 2004 season

The cold 2003-4 winter enabled full vine dormancy, a much needed respite after 2003’s very stressy heatwave.

Spring rain was another boon, getting the vines going pretty evenly from the start, meaning if all went well ripening would be even too so. Thus flavour and aroma nuances between plots that should normally ripen say 5 or 15 days apart were evident, facilitating the presence of extra layers of complexity and interest to the final blends.

Summer brought dream conditions with bright, sunny days and cool nights. This was good for both vines and field workers because such conditions made for easier, less hurried, more precise and more flexible farming – a potential boon for all, but especially so for Montalcino’s larger estates.

Estate by estate

Hence it was no surprise Brunello’s big guns, most of which are located in the wide open spaces of Montalcino’s hotter south, did so well in this retrospective tasting.

Argiano and Col d’Orcia excelled, the latter doing the double for both its Brunello normale and its single-vineyard Poggio al Vento (‘windy hill’), which exuded freshness. You’d never guess it spent four years in large oak vats.

Further west, towards the coast the Frescobaldi family’s Castelgiocondo also did the double with high scores for both its regular and Riserva Brunellos. It sounds easy to do, as if one follows the other, but this level of consistency across a producer’s range involves precise blending of vine plots and wine lots to make each wine coherent, meaningful and distinctive to its siblings.

Val di Suga, a single site specialist, produced a beautifully fresh Brunello from its Spuntali vineyard. This faces southwest so gets full afternoon sun and is normally one of the warmest sites in Montalcino.

Meanwhile, Castello Banfi’s 2004 is the best Brunello I’ve tried from the Mariani family for its punch, typicity, accessibility and staying power.

Smaller traditionalist Montalcino estates, that were highly respected then and are today’s icons, made Brunellos in their typical unshouty way, not tempted to imitate the brasher, points-driven style which was then gaining traction.

Such traditionalists include the late Franco Biondi-Santi of Biondi-Santi, the late Nello Baricci of Baricci Colombaio Montosoli, the late Franco Pacenti, Enzo Tiezzi, and the Fuligni family among others.

Other smaller, and essentially brand new, estates such as Gianna Neri’s Col di Lamo and the Terzuoli family’s SassodiSole in Montalcino’s still very unfashionable Torrenieri showed no newcomers’ nerves.

Further south, the Loacker family’s Corte Pavone and San Polino were especially notable for being among the very few certified organic or biodynamic estates in Montalcino in 2004.

Historic estates in the warmer south like Fattoria dei Barbi and Ciacci Piccolomini showed the value of old school winemaking practises, guiding rather than dictating ferments, leading to open-knit Brunellos whose soft autumnal flavours flow.

Other Brunellos made in a succulent classic-modern style include Bramante, which made its debut Brunello in 2004 after the owners of Sanlorenzo, the Ciolfi family, stopped selling their grapes.

In a not dissimilar stylistic vein was Tenuta Le Potazzine, made by duo Gigliola Giannetti and Giuseppe Gorelli, the latter a Montalcino-based winemaking consultant.

Montalcino’s sheer size means vineyards can pop up anywhere. Like the south, northern Montalcino has both larger and smaller estates, for instance Altesino and Pian delle Querci respectively. Both delivered smooth, mouthwatering wines with well judged weight from clay soils, allied to bright fruit very much in keeping with the season.

The mercurial Rudi Cosimi seems to have regaled himself in 2004 with two beautifully clear Brunellos which express what I see as the key aspects of 2004: bright sunlight, cool nights, and the pristine juiciness of the grapes.

Conclusion

This Brunello di Montalcino 2004 retrospective tasting was hosted for me in Montalcino by the consorzio in October 2020.

It’s rare to taste over 40 Brunellos in one sitting and be able to walk out of the door feeling refreshed like you’ve just finished a well-filled glass of your favourite mineral water, but I have never seen Brunello as an inherently monolithic wine.

Many of these 2004 Brunello di Montalcinos combined a Burgundian-like levity with their multilayered, oak-aided depth. That’s a rare and welcome attribute.

See tasting notes and scores for 40 Brunello di Montalcino 2004

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It’s possibly not as exceptional as 2006, which was unique and without comparison, and neither is it the favourite of consultant Michel Rolland, who continues to prefer 2001, but 2016 is one of the best vintages ever in Bolgheri.

Undoubtedly, Bolgheri 2016 is a five-star vintage for Sassicaia, Ornellaia and Masseto. Whether it’s better than the celebrated and powerful 2015 vintage is like comparing Coppi and Bartali.

The 2016 vintage

In 2016, water reserves were plentiful due to abundant rainfall in February, and fertility was high due to great warmth the previous spring. Bud-break occurred a week ahead of the average – as did flowering, between 23 and 28 May.

From this point forward, a patchy progression of rainfall spread throughout Italy, yet in Bolgheri there were only occasional summer rains. The grapes were never dehydrated and by harvest the clusters were beautifully swollen, preserving aromatics and the natural sweetness of the fruit.

Harvest got underway on 24 August, earlier than average, however it took longer than usual and so finished in line with the norm. Tenuta Argentiera, for example, undertook one of the later harvests of the appellation due to higher altitudes and a predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon, and finished on 12 October.

Yields were higher than average, at 26.106 quintals/ha for Bolgheri Superiore, compared to 23.466 in 2015 and 22.099 in 2017.

Scroll down to see Aldo’s 35 picks from the Bolgheri 2016 vintage

Factors

Axel Heinz, managing director of Ornellaia and Masseto, explains that one of the reasons behind the strong vintage performance in 2016 is the increasing age of the vines:

‘Bolgheri is a relatively young appellation. The average age of the vines when we harvested the 2001 or 2006 vintages was less than 30 years, whereas in 2016 it is higher. So, this vintage is probably not the best in absolute terms, but it definitely is if you consider the higher average age of the vines.’

Another important element for quality in Bolgheri is the wind, one of the most precious secrets of this region.

‘Two weeks of Tramontana wind,’ commented Michele Satta, ‘was most likely the main factor for the quality of the 2016 vintage in Bolgheri.’

This Tramontana is a cold northeast wind, often suggesting the end of the summer in Tuscany yet bringing bright, crystalline days followed by cool nights, and almost always giving great harvests.

‘This wind was essential in order to concentrate sugars, as well as preserve acidity while waiting for phenolic ripeness, which was exceptional,’ added Satta.

Tasting the wines, there’s clearly a great homogeneity in 2016, much like 2004, for example. While concentration might not be as great as in 2015, the overall balance and elegance of the wines is definitely superior. This balance puts 2016 in the lead for the long run, being less austere than 2015.

About Bolgheri

Bolgheri is a small region lying three miles inland from the sea on the Tuscan coast, within the province of Livorno on the northern side of Maremma.

Spanning 1,370 hectares, it’s considered ‘the Bordeaux of Italy’ as the region specialises primarily in Bordeaux-style blends.

Plantings

Red: Cabernet Sauvignon (36.6%), Merlot (23.4%), Cabernet Franc (12%), Petit Verdot (a strikingly high 6.4%), Syrah (6.2%), Sangiovese (1.5%).

White: Vermentino (8.9%), Viognier (1.4%).

Apart from the famed reds of the region, Vermentino produces an extremely successful dry, spicy white wine considered a signature summer style for seasonal consumption in local restaurants, and is popular with tourists on the beach. It is also often blended with Viognier.

Since 1994, Bolgheri Sassicaia was considered a sub-appellation of Bolgheri Superiore, but in 2013 it was declared its own monopole: Bolgheri Sassicaia DOC.

Masseto: New home, new wine

Masseto is a rare example of a single-vineyard, single-varietal wine, made from 100% Merlot. This April, Masseto inaugurated its new home, a dedicated cellar facility designed by the architecture studio, Zito Mori.

In years past, it was vinified within the cellar of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, albeit maintaining its own label and identity. Today, carved into the ancient blue clay that makes up the vineyard, the Masseto winery is a physical and symbolic tribute to the estate’s history and rapid evolution, from a humble intuition about the hidden potential of a vineyard site to an internationally acclaimed wine.

The blue clay, cooling coastal breezes and abundant refracted light from the Tyrrhenian Sea all contribute to Masseto’s intriguing combination of power, elegance and complexity. Masseto has received international acclaim since its birth in 1986.

Beginning with the 2006 vintage (released in October 2009), about 20% of the world’s allocations were handled by five négociants of the Place de Bordeaux. Over the years it has become, according to some economists and trade experts, a luxury investment.

In October 2019, Massetino– the ‘second wine’ of Masseto– will make its debut with the 2017 vintage. It will be available to selected accounts in Italy and the US.

Giovanni Geddes, CEO of Masseto comments: ‘It seems to be a natural development for the Masseto estate to produce a ‘second vin’, and the 2017 vintage proved to be the right time to do it. It’s an exciting moment for Masseto and the new winery provides us with the right environment to pursue this new project’.

The Masseto estate is part of the Frescobaldi Family group.

Aldo’s Bolgheri 2016 best value picks:

Le Crocine, 57022, Bolgheri Superiore 2016

Le Crocine is one of Bolgheri’s newest additions. Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi, Piero and Lodovico Antinori’s nephew, started his estate with Cabernet Franc vines. In 2016, Marzichi Lenzi released his first Bolgheri Superiore, Le Crocine’s 57022, which is one of the top wines in its lower price range given his almost exclusively local reputation.

Striking a balance between Loire and St-Emilion in style, it’s nevertheless strongly marked with Mediterranean herbs.

Mulini di Segalari, Ai Confini del Bosco, Bolgheri 2016

Ai Confini del Bosco, from the Mulini di Segalari estate, is possibly the least costly wine in Bolgheri (€16-18 RRP). This niche winery is considered the ‘garagiste’ of the region, possessing just 2.3 hectares and bearing recognition as the first biodynamic winery within the DOC.

The vineyards are located slightly higher than average below the Castagneto Carducci village, close to Grattamacco. The wines are sometimes rustic, yet always full of character and with great drinkability.

Poggio al Tesoro, Il Seggio, Bolgheri 2016

Il Seggio, awarded a Platinum medal at last year’s Decanter World Wine Awards, is the entry-level wine of Poggio al Tesoro, the Allegrini family’s estate in Bolgheri. It’s sourced from ‘Le Sondraie’, considered one of the best plots of the entire appellation, and is another top pick.

Bolgheri 2016: Top-scoring wines from Aldo’s report

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Best Tuscan wines: Latest-release Chianti Classico, Brunello and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

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Michaela Morris brings you an exclusive sneak preview on how the Chianti Classico 2017 vintage is shaping up in the cellar...

Wine regions around the globe will remember 2017 for challenges of almost biblical proportions. From frost, hail, torrid heat, drought and fires, never have extremes been so widespread.

Tuscany did not go unscathed, starting with the frosts that affected much of Europe in late April.

‘In Chianti Classico, the result was a loss of yields in lower altitude vineyards,’ says Sergio Zingarelli, president of the Chianti Classico Consorzio.Spring and summer continued with very little rainfall while temperatures soared. ‘It was one of the driest growing seasons of the last 70 years,’ continues Zingarelli.

In these drought conditions the berries remained small, and bunches weighed less than half on average of what they would normally. Overall, production was down by 27% across the zone.

See Michaela’s full report on the latest Chianti Classico releases, including 103 tasting notes

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At Castello di Gabbiano, winemaker Federico Cerelli estimates even greater losses – as much as 60%. He attributes half of this to frost, which affected one of their most productive vineyards in San Casciano. As for the drought, ‘it was the worst I’d seen in my 18 year career; the vines were in stress for months.’

But it wasn’t all bad news.

With vineyards at altitudes of around 400 metres above sea level, Isole e Olena luckily avoided frost damage. Nevertheless, ‘we still produced 40% less, largely due to the arid conditions,’ owner Paolo de Marchi reveals.

In the area of Lamole, the I Fabbri estate reaches almost 700 metres above sea level. ‘We managed to achieve wines with a lot of freshness due to the large diurnal temperature difference,’ asserts proprietor Susanna Grassi.

When the rain finally arrived in early September, there was some hope of restoring balance. However, by that time, earlier-ripening varieties like Merlot had already been picked and some areas had even harvested Sangiovese because the vines had completely shut down.

‘It will be a good year for top wines like Gran Selezione and Riserva, but a challenging one for the young, fresh wines,’ Cerelli predicts.

The vintage is also poised to fuel Chianti Classico’s sub-zonation debate on whether location of vineyards should contribute to a wine’s character.

The annual Chianti Classico Collection event held in mid-February provided a preview of the 2017 vintage with a tasting of cask samples. The wines are not yet fully formed, so it is still too early to make a definitive quality assessment, but trying them alongside the positively frisky 2016 wines made for a stark contrast.

At this stage, the 2017s exhibit much less aromatic definition. Some wines sport higher acidity than expected, though not the level of preceding years. In others, warming alcohol inevitably popped up.

Green or unripe tannins are also a concern, as Sangiovese struggles to achieve phenolic and sugar ripeness simultaneously at the best of times. Further ageing may smooth out any rough tannins, and the round, ripe fruit will provide some balancing flesh.

The finished wines will be on display in February 2019, and I have no doubt there will be plenty of pleasant surprises. Chianti Classico has made vast strides in viticulture, and growers have previous experience of dealing with intense heat and dryness, in 2012 and 2011.

In the meantime, the focus will be on whatever trials or solace 2018 brings.

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Requiring an extra year of ageing, the latest release of Brunello Riserva is the 2012 vintage. Read Michaela Morris' report below, and see her tasting notes and scores for 55 wines...

The Brunello Riservas from the 2012 vintage are, like 2011, the product of a hot year, although the heat played out differently.

Rather than the sudden heat spike late in the season in 2011, the summer of 2012 was subject to high temperatures from the start. This gave time for the vines to adapt, producing small, concentrated berries.

Read Michaela’s Brunello di Montalcino 2013 report

‘They were characterised by power, richness and structure,’ explains Emanuele Nardi of the Silvio Nardi estate. ‘Everything was in order to give wines of great intensity with excellent ageing potential.’

While hot temperatures do not automatically translate to a great vintage, the Brunello di Montalcino consorzio awarded 2012 five stars. Given the high quality overall of the 2012 Brunellos, released last year, there was no reason to expect that the Riservas wouldn’t be successful.

With ripe fruit, powerful tannins and a ton of concentration, as well as unexpectedly high acidity levels, they have everything required to merit this category.

While I wouldn’t describe 2012 as elegant, a handful of Riservas did achieve surprising finesse. Most will need some time in the bottle and the best have the stamina to age for at least a couple of decades.

Tasting the 2012 Riservas and 2013 annatas side by side was a fascinating demonstration of vintage variation and the beautiful diversity of wine. Both vintages should absolutely be enjoyed and appreciated for their many merits.

Top Brunello Riserva 2012 wines:

See notes and scores for all 55 Brunello Riserva 2012 wines tasted

Looking ahead to the 2013 Riservas

Many producers decided not to make a Riserva in 2013. ‘While it was a good year, it doesn’t demonstrate the structure for long-term ageing,’ asserts Andrea Costanti at Conti Costanti.

Conversely, both Laura Brunelli at Gianni Brunelli and the neighbouring Salicutti estate will be releasing small quantities of a Riserva. As this category must age an additional year (not necessarily in wood), a judgement on these will be made in 2019.

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Michaela Morris attended the recent tastings in Montalcino to bring you the latest insight into the 2013 vintage. Premium members can view Michaela's tasting notes and scores for 95 wines, plus a report on how the vintage is shaping up...

Brunello di Montalcino 2013

Keep

Cool year with rain throughout. Most will be approachable soon after release, while the best demonstrate elegance, grace and perfume, with mid-term drinking potential of 10-15 years

4/5

The usual deluge of journalists from around the world descended on Tuscany’s charming hilltop town of Montalcino in mid-February for the 2018 edition of Benvenuto Brunello.

The event, organised by the producers’ representing consortium, is a comprehensive presentation of the newest releases. This year’s marathon tasting featured the 2013 vintage of Brunello di Montalcino, as well as the 2012 Riservas.

It commenced with additional fanfare as rock star Sting arrived in Montalcino to place the commemorative plaque awarding a four-star rating to the 2017 vintage.

While it will be another four years before wines from this torridly hot summer are released, it made for an interesting theoretical juxtaposition with 2013, which the Brunello di Montalcino consorzio also rated four stars.

View tasting notes and scores for 95 wines tasted

 The 2013 vintage

Overall, 2013 was a cool year with rain throughout. Warmer summer temperatures did not appear until August, so veraison (the beginning of grape ripening) was delayed, portending a late harvest.

Inclement weather returned temporarily at the beginning of September, making harvesting decisions tricky.

‘You had to pick around the rains,’ recalls Francesca Bindocci at Il Poggione, adding that it’s a vintage which shows who worked well in the vineyard throughout the year.

Those who were able to wait benefitted from markedly improved conditions during the final days of September.

‘It enabled us to reach an optimal level of ripeness with clean, balanced grapes,’ says Francesco Leanza of Salicutti, who claims that 2013 is one of the latest harvests that he can remember.

Many are describing it as a classic vintage. ‘It is a more traditional year, like we had in the past,’ says Alessia Salvioni at the Salvioni’s La Cerbaiola estate. ‘Conditions were fresher with more thermal amplitude, giving elegant wines.’

Quality

Some producers believe that four stars is too low a rating for 2013. On the one hand, I concur with the consorzio as I interpret this as a blended average. However, this also means it does not adequately capture the range of quality in such a complex region.

There are many excellent 2013s demonstrating grace and gorgeous perfumed nuances. Those like myself, who prize finesse, will love this vintage and I for one will be stocking up my cellar.

The wines may even surprise in their longevity. Riccardo Talenti, owner and winemaker at Talenti, compares 2013 to 1998, another cool year: ‘The wines were very rigid at first, but now we are drinking beautiful bottles from that vintage.’

On average, ageing the 2013s for 10- 15 years is a safe bet. However, this rigidity is where other 2013s may disappoint. With leaner fruit and less texture, the wines have nowhere to hide. Any imbalances in tannins, acidity or alcohol stand out.

Furthermore, deft wood management was crucial. Brunello regulations demand that the wines are aged in wood for a minimum of 24 months out of the mandatory four year ageing period.

While oak regimes vary greatly in terms of length, type and size of oak, winemakers’ methods made a difference between which wines were dried out and which were balanced.

Tellingly, many producers decided not to make a Riserva in 2013. ‘While it was a good year, it doesn’t demonstrate the structure for long-term ageing,’ asserts Andrea Costanti at Conti Costanti.

Conversely, both Laura Brunelli at Gianni Brunelli and the neighbouring Salicutti estate will be releasing small quantities of a Riserva. As this category must age for an additional year (not necessarily in wood), a judgement on these will be made in 2019.

What to buy – Michaela’s top picks:

View tasting notes and scores for 95 wines tasted

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• Re-cap: Brunello 2012 vintage panel tasting – published October 2017

• The making of Montalcino

• Great Brunello producers to know about

Michaela Morris gets under the bonnet of this highly anticipated vintage of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. See her tasting notes and scores below...

Entering Montepulciano’s Fortezza Medicea to taste the 2015 vintage of Vino Nobile, expectations were high. The Consorzio awarded the vintage five stars, and Poliziano’s Federico Carletti calls it ‘one of the best in the last 10 years.’

Vintage conditions

In stark contrast to the cool and rainy 2014 vintage, the growing season in 2015 was hot and sunny. Berries remained small due to arid conditions but water reserves were sufficient to curb detrimental stress on the vines.

‘Nothing caused us to work too hard in the vineyard,’ declares Luca De Ferrari of Boscarelli.Localised hail storms in June and July did cause minor damage, however. Between this and the reduced berry size, Miriam Caporali of Tenuta Valdipiatta estimates her production was 30% below average.

Calling it a natural selection, she says that ‘2015 was about concentration, ripeness and extraction.’

Leading up to harvest, which was between September 21 and October 5 for most producers, the heat abated and September presented considerable diurnal temperature variation.

According to Jacopo Felici, oenologist at Dei, this contributed to aromatic development while allowing the grapes to achieve phenolic ripeness. ‘The tannins are a bit more coarse, but fully ripe,’ he says, comparing 2015 to the previous year.

View all Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2015s tasted at the event

The wines

So did the wines live up to expectations? Certainly the better ones struck a balance between ripe, concentrated fruit, alcohol, oak and sturdy tannins.

Some will benefit from a few months in bottle to integrate. The best wines achieved finesse despite their size, and admirably captured Sangiovese’s complex and compelling nuances. These will drink well over the next 8-10 years.

Quality, however, was not uniform. Elements such as unripe or over-extracted tannins, high alcohol and clumsy oak treatment threw certain wines out of balance. In extreme cases, volatile acidity and brettanomyces were problematic.

Many producers are clearly making concerted efforts to regain Vino Nobile’s lustre. The region still struggles with an identity crisis, due in part to the broad range of Sangiovese – known locally as Prugnolo Gentile – allowed in the wine (70-100%).

Another issue is the long list of permitted blending grapes, although there is a trend towards 100% Sangiovese, or blending with indigenous rather than international varieties.

The Riservas

While Vino Nobile must age for two years with a minimum of 12 months in wood, the Riserva category requires an additional year of ageing before release. As such, the 2014 Riservas were on display, although only three wines were presented – compared to 30 at last year’s release of 2013.

This reflects a widespread decision to not make a Riserva in 2014. The best Vino Nobiles in 2014 trade on their lovely freshness, and this wouldn’t be enhanced with further ageing.

What to buy

After tasting the wines blind, my top 2015s were Metinella, Tenuta Gracciano della Seta, Avignonesi and Poliziano’s Asinone.

There were also solid showings from Salcheto, Priorino and Fattoria La Braccesca.

I don’t recommend trolling through the very low end of this denomination – instead, it is well worth seeking out the better wines which represent smart buys for savvy Sangiovese-lovers, available at reasonable prices.

Michaela’s top Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2015s:

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Stephen Brook got a preview of the Brunello di Montalcino 2013 vintage at an event hosted by specialist merchant Vinexus in London. Read his report below, and Decanter Premium members can see his ratings from the tasting.

Brunello 2013 at a glance:

• A cooler year producing more elegant wines

• Homogenous conditions across the region

• Moderate alcohol levels 

This Brunello di Montalcino 2013 preview tasting, two months before the official release date, proved a pleasant surprise. Those looking for big, rich, tannic wines will be disappointed, but those who prefer more restrained and elegant styles will find much to enjoy.

After a great vintage in 2010 and very good, if less consistent, wines in 2011 and 2012, it was easy to be dismayed by reports that 2013 was a cooler year and, moreover, experienced rain during harvest.

But preliminary reports, based solely on climatic conditions, rarely tell the whole story.

Article continues below the wines

Brunello 2013 wines to look out for from this tasting:

Only Decanter Premium members can access full tasting notes and see scores.

The bigger picture for Brunello 2013

There is the crucial matter of vinification, especially with a variety such as Sangiovese, which can easily show astringency if too extracted. Once vinified, the wines will spend two years in oak.

The fashion for barrique ageing has subsided, and most wines are aged in larger casks or in older 500 litre barrels, so excessive wood influence is rarely an issue these days.

On paper this was not an auspicious vintage. The spring was cool and wet, and growers had to be vigilant against disease. The summer was uneven, with some cool periods in August and no heat spikes. A good September helped conclude the ripening period, and the bunches remained healthy.

Rain was certainly a problem in October but by then most grapes had been picked. There were fears that some producers may have picked too early, but there is little to confirm this in the glass, with very few wines showing herbaceous or weedy characters.

A frequent difficulty in the Montalcino zone is that it is geologically and climatically varied. North of Montalcino the elevation is high and the microclimate cooler, while in the far south, at lower elevations, bunches can be exposed to extreme heat in very hot years such as 2003 and 2017, resulting in cooked fruit and a lack of freshness.

Blessed, then, are those with access to fruit in more than one zone, as they can blend judiciously to produce balanced wines. Yet in 2013 this was not really an issue as the climate was homogeneous across the region.

Alcohol levels are moderate and medium-bodied wines are the norm, with the best showing delectable finesse and balance. Moreover, there is no reason to think they won’t age well.

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Richard Baudains takes a look at the 2012 vintage for Brunello di Montalcino wines...

Brunello di Montalcino 2012 is hard to generalise about. The vintage won the consorzio’s top, five-star rating, but it divides opinion. My own view is that 2012 shows both the positives and the downsides of a hot, dry vintage.

It is a ‘choose with care’ vintage in which terroir differences played a determining role. Wines from cooler sites have much better balance; those from hotter slopes can be tough and alcoholic.

It is certainly a powerful vintage. The wines are not easy to drink now, but the best have the prerequisites for long-term ageing.

The summer of 2012 was hot and very dry, with no rainfall at all from July to mid-September, a situation exacerbated in August by three days of scirocco, the hot, dry wind from the Sahara, which not only raised temperatures by day but kept them high at night.

View all of Decanter’s Brunello 2012 tasting notes

At the Baricci estate they resorted to spraying water in the vineyards in the early hours of the morning to try to give some respite to the vines. ‘I couldn’t say 2012 is a five-star vintage,’ says Francesco Baricci; ‘there was just too much drought stress.’

On the other hand, Riccardo Fratton, winemaker at San Polo, has no doubts about the five-star quality. ‘It is true that 2012 was hot, but we had some rain before we picked and that freshened the vines. The wines are closed now, but they will come out in time.’

This article continues below the list of wines

Richard Baudains’ top Brunello 2012 wines:

Click on the wine to see the full tasting note and stockist information for UK and US, where available. 

Defining features of Brunello 2012

Probably both producers are right. The defining features of the vintage are depth of colour, massive extract and high alcohol. When this all comes together without losing fruit aromas, the result is a big, chunky mouthful of Brunello. The variables are the ripeness of the tannins and the acidity levels.

Two factors made the difference to the overall quality and balance of the wines: the date of picking and the site. At Poggio di Sotto they picked early, at the end of August, and made a wine with 13.5% alcohol on the label and an elegance that’s rare for the vintage.

Silvio Nardi’s Poggio Doria single vineyard selection was picked much later, but benefited from its high, cool location in the far northwest of the DOCG zone to produce a Brunello with tight, ripe tannins and complex aromas.

The downside of 2012 is that many wines lack these qualities. Aromas are often baked and leathery, extract is huge but the tannins are hard and underripe, and the palates have a very peppery quality and a flat finish.

Whether the wines will soften with age is an open question. In many respects they recall the 2006s – another hot and powerful vintage which started life tough, and in my experience remains tough and unyielding today.

This is an abridged version of an article that first appeared in the August 2017 issue of Decanter magazine. Subscribe to Decanter here.

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See our expert Aldo Fiordelli's favourite L'Apparita wines from an anniversary vertical tasting, read a profile of the Tuscan estate and hear about its 'Judgement of Paris' moment.

Castello di Ama, the leading Chianti estate, is so full of works of art that when you arrive there’s a high risk of tripping over. ‘Le Chemin du Bonheur,’ the work of Pascale Marthine Tayou, lines the ancient stone street of Ama, enlivening the 18th century hamlet with colour.

The contemporary art on the hill overlooking the estate is a tribute to what owners Lorenza Sebasti and Marco Pallanti call in latin “genius loci”: a spirit-like sense of place.

On 10 December at the Four Seasons Hotel in Florence, genius loci was celebrated in a vertical tasting of L’Apparita, the 100% Merlot wine made in heart of Chianti Classico for which the estate became known.

Ama had a ‘Judgement of Paris’ moment on 8 February 1992 when the L’Apparita 1987 vintage beat Pétrus 1988, Le Pin and 16 other world-class Merlot wines at a tasting hosted by the Académie du Vin in Switzerland, with a jury comprised of renowned winemaking consultant Michel Rolland.

Read more about the estate below the wine reviews

Castello di Ama lies in Gaiole, one of the sub regions of Chianti. Established in 1972, Ama comprises more than 230 hectares, 80 of which are dedicated to vineyards with a total production – reigning exclusively from estate vineyards – of 300,000 bottles per year.

L’Apparita, of which there is usually 7-8,000 bottles per year, comes from 2.8 hectares of precious parcels with a southern exposition at the very top of the Bellavista vineyard – an altitude of 490 metres above sea level – from which you can see (as they say in Tuscany ‘appare’) Siena.

The soil is mainly from sedimentary rock from the Eocene Era; fine grainy calcareous marl containing 30% clay. The impressive altitude of the vineyard exceeds the conventional limit for the perfect ripening of Sangiovese, considered at 400 metres, thus becoming one of the most intriguing and influential factors in the style of this so-called Super Tuscan.

The vineyard was planted in 1975 with Malvasia and Trebbiano on a 5 BB rootstock over which Pallanti grafted clone 342 of Merlot between 1983-1984.

He chose to train the vines with the Lyra system, a rare technique in Italy largely due to its expensive cost: ‘Because everything is doubled, but it is useful to counteract the high vigor of the rootstock I found there,’ Pallanti says.

When the first L’Apparita bottling saw the light in 1985 the vines were already 10 years old. The Merlot is vinified in stainless steel tanks for 25 days at a relatively high 32-33°C degrees, and extracted mainly with remontage.

Malolactic fermentation takes place in oak, aided by an intentional warming of the winery. The wine is then aged in 40 to 60% new french oak – fine grain with medium toast – for 14 to 16 months, never more.

Overall, L’Apparita maintains a Bordeaux style but, as with Ama’s artwork, this wine is never trampled over and maintains striking individuality: a wise drinker should taste it with a different perspective than a right-bank Merlot.

Crediting the altitude, along with the soil and the climate, the style differs from Bordeaux or Bolgheri with fresh fruit, pleasant acidity and a leaner body, more elegance than power and without the slight herbaceousness typical of Merlot except for in warmer vintages.

It is a wine remarkably sensitive to different vintages, the best of which are 1990 and 2006. The understated winemaking stands behind the viticulture, aiming solely to express the genius loci. As of recently, Ama welcomes Antinori as a new neighbour, having bought San Sano Castle in 2014. The new heat is on.

Editing by Harry Fawkes and Chris Mercer

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Decanter's content director John Stimpfig recently attended the launch of Tenuta San Guido's Sassicaia 2014...

The story of how Sassicaia and Bolgheri came into existence is one of my favourites. It has been told many times, but is always worth re-telling for those who haven’t yet come across it.

Back in the 1930s, the Piedmontese aristocrat and race horse breeder Mario Incisa della Rochetta planted some Cabernet vines in his coastal Tuscan estate, Tenuta San Guido, near the tiny hamlet of Bolgheri. A lover of great Bordeaux, he hoped that the resultant wine might be similar to the left bank clarets he collected and cherished.

Continue reading below

Tenuta San Guido’s latest releases:

Early days

The first harvest was in 1941 and he thought little of the wine which was only ever intended for his personal consumption. However, as the vintages mounted up and the wine aged, it became increasingly clear that this was a special wine. So when his cousin Piero Antinori helped him launch the inaugural 1968 vintage onto the world stage, it became a vinous sensation. It was the very first SuperTuscan, and in 1994 the estate was accorded its own DOC.

Bolgheri

Of course, it’s not just Sassicaia which is world-famous. Bolgheri now boasts some of the most expensive vineyard land, with more than 1,000 hectares split amongst about 50 producers whose roll call of names include Ornellaia, Gaja and, of course, Antinori.

But in the opinion of many, Sassicaia is not just the original but also the best. Today it is run by Mario’s son Nicolo Incisa, who has unquestionably established it as one of the greatest wines in the world, famed and feted for its timeless elegance, balance and longevity.

Sassicaia 2014

So it was a privilege and pleasure to taste Sassicaia’s latest release from the 2014 vintage in London last week in the company of Priscilla Incisa, who is Nicolo’s daughter.

According to Priscilla, 2014 was a cool year with some late summer rain. But Bolgheri did not receive as much precipitation as other areas of Tuscany, and the Cabernet vines (Sauvignon and Franc) ripened slowly, achieving good phenolic maturation and excellent aromatics.

The traditional blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, aged for 24 months in French barriques before bottling, has produced a wine of classical proportions with lift and grace. The wine is on sale now and will be shipped in two months time.

Armit Wines is the exclusive supplier of Sassicaia in the UK.

Decanter experts give their verdict, tasting notes and drinking windows on Brunello di Montalcino 2007.

Regardless of your preference for traditional or modern styles, our experts found commendable consistency in these approachable, fruity Brunellos. See the top 46 wines including two Outstanding, as rated by Richard Baudains, Jane Hunt MW and Rosemary George MW:

Brunello di Montalcino 2007

Vintage guide: Tuscany 2006

keep

Good – but not over-the-top – intensity and concentration, excellent balance promises wine for the long haul

5/5

Weather Conditions

Highly variable weather, ranging from extreme heat in June and July, more tepid and humid weather in August, and a return to heat – interrupted by heavy rain – at the end of the season.

Best Appellations

Chianti Classico, Montepulciano

Best Producers

TBD

Vintage guide: Tuscany 2004

keep

Concentrated wines of complexity and length with significant aging potential

4/5

Weather Conditions

A long, cold winter and a rainy spring in Tuscany delayed the budding and flowering.

The prolonged warm—not hot—summer and unusually hot October brought the grapes to optimum ripeness. Overall, the harvest was delayed by 15-20 days allowing for wonderful ripening and good development of flavour compounds. The conditions produced excellent fruit, which better producers will transform into stellar wine.

‘2004 is a vintage characterised by deep, dark must with bright tonality, outstanding aromas, depth and length,’ says top producer Lamberto Frescobaldi in Tuscany.

Like most Italian regions the vintage was abundant, yielding between 25% more in quantity.

Best Appellations

Chianti and Montepulciano

Best Producers

Vintage guide: Tuscany 2003

keep

Very well-balanced, good quality reds from Chianti and Montepulciano

4/5

Weather Conditions

The hottest summer for the last 150 years brought heat wave conditions and drought to Tuscany and saw the earliest vintage since 1945 and one of the smallest ever. The spring began with normal temperatures and rainfall, but frost on 7-8 April caused damage which contributed to the general short fall in production. From May to the end of August the region experienced record temperatures and almost complete drought, which started to create serious problems of stress in the vineyard. However rain in early September saved the situation and allowed for more or less even ripening over the whole of the region.

Best Appellations

Quantities are down an average 15% over the region, with some producers in Chianti reporting a drop of 20%. Grapes everywhere had very high sugar content, low acidity and very thick, tannin-rich skins. An unusually low ratio of juice to pulp has resulted in dense and highly concentrated wines, with great ageing potential but probably less immediate appeal. Chianti Classico will be particularly full-bodied and meaty with alcohol levels well above the norm. Put these away, together with the long-ageing Chiantis from Rufina, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Maremma wines might be a bit baked and jammy for some tastes. Bolgheri should offer more elegance alongside the structure.

Best Producers

In Chianti look for estates with a track record in hot vintages, possibly away from the stoniest hillsides in the centre of the DOCG zone. Examples include Castello di Bossi, Fattoria Le Corti-Corsini and Fattoria di Felsina. All the big names at Montalcino are expecting to bring out an important vintage. For the long haul, look for the Riservas (due out in 2009) from Lisini, Salvioni, Case Basse and Col d’Orcia. For blockbusters from the coast pick, from the fast developing Val di Cornia DOC zone, Tua Rita and Gualdo del Re or the new wave wines of Le Macchiole at Castagneto Carducci.

Vintage guide: Tuscany 2000

keep

Cabernet and Sangiovese have the edge on Merlot; good vintage on the coast, in Chianti Classico and Montalcino and very good at Montepulciano.

3/5

Weather Conditions

2000 was a difficult year for growers in Tuscany with unsettled and often abnormal weather conditions. An early spring brought flowering and fruit set forward but a wet and warm June was accompanied by widespread attacks of peronospera. Temperatures fell in July but then rose again sharply in August, which for the third year running was very hot and dry, causing local problems of drought. September began with storms but continued with fine sunny weather which helped to redress the situation, although isolated areas in the central hills were hit by hail. Picking began at least ten days early and in places up to three weeks ahead of the norm.

Best Appellations

Production was down for the region as a whole by about 5%. As always in vintages with extreme weather conditions, quality is mixed, not only across the region but also within the individual DOC/G zones. Musts generally had high sugar content and ripe tannins, but reduced aroma and low natural acidity. The wines will tend to be soft and round and probably more suited to earlier bottling and drinking than long ageing. Generally Cabernet and Sangiovese could have the edge over the earlier picked Merlot. Official sources rate the vintage as good on the coast, in Chianti Classico and Montalcino and very good at Montepulciano.

Best Producers

To follow

keep

An excellent vintage with fruity, well-balanced wines

5/5

Weather Conditions

A warm start to April brought the vegetation forward, but frost hit central Tuscany at the end of the month, causing considerable damage. The rest of the spring and summer however provided a rare combination of favourable conditions, with high temperatures but also the minimum indispensable rainfall. The fine weather lasted for the whole of the run in to the harvest which began in the middle of the September – up to ten days early for Sangiovese – and finished by 10th October. The fruit was in perfect condition; very concentrated, high in sugar and polyphenols but also with good balancing acidity. Quantities were down at least 10%.

Best Appellations

A great vintage, potentially the best of the decade and amongst the most important in the last thirty years. Very small production but superb wines across the whole of the region. The first Chiantis to come out demonstrated the superb quality of Sangiovese. The wines have fruit and aroma backed up by structure which will guarantee long and very positive development for the Chianti Riservas, Brunello and Vino Nobile. Cabernet and Merlot are also outstanding and promise a spectacular vintage both for mono-varietals and Super Tuscan blends.

Best Producers

Straight Chianti from Fontodi, Poggerino, Querciabella and Castello di Ama (especially their Vigna Bellavista) are great value to drink now or keep. Serious Sangiovese to lay down, while waiting for the Brunello due out in 2002, includes Castello di Verrazzano’s Sassello, Isola e Olena’s Cepparello, La Massa’s Giorgio Primo and Rufina Montesodi from Frescobaldi. Among the Super Tuscan‘s look for, Fonterutoli’s Siepi, Massetto from Ornellaia and the superb Vigna d’Alceo Cabernet Sauvignon from Castello di Rampolla.

keep

An excellent vintage with noteworthy wines in all districts. Low quantities though

5/5

Weather Conditions

Stands out in contrast to an apparent meteorological trend in the last decade of the century towards earlier vintages for Sangiovese. Spring in Tuscany was late, the summer was cool and in many parts of the region the grapes only began to change colour well into the month of August. The fact that then at the beginning of September it began to rain prompted pessimistic forecasts. It all came right however thanks to an Indian summer which lasted from the final week of September through to the end of October. Quantities were down, but the quality of the fruit was excellent, with very good sugar/acid balance and very ripe tannin.

Best Appellations

One of the three top vintages of the decade; more elegant than 1990 but probably not as complete as 1997. Quality was very uniform. It was a great year for Bolgheri, but also for the Sangiovese wines from the Central hills. Chianti Riservas are rich in colour, fruit and extract and look good for long keeping. Vino Nobile has a similar profile. The long awaited release of the 1995 Brunellos had a certain element of anticlimax; the wines are round and attractive, but at the moment appear to lack a little depth and complexity. Definitely to lay down.

Best Producers

Star in the Chianti Classico was the new Casa Silia from Poggio al Sole, but from Felsina, Fontodi, Fonterutoli and Brolio though a long list of smaller estates, none of the top producers missed out. There were impressive debut wines from Poggiopiano (Rosso di Sera) and in Montalcino from Gaja’s Pieve Santa Restituta (Sugarille). The Vino Nobile Riservas from Il Macchione and Poliziano are excellent examples of the modern, fruit-driven style from that DOCG. Sassicaia turned in what is widely rated as one of its most convincing performances of the decade.

drink now

A good year for Brunello, Vino Nobile and stylish Chianti Classico

4/5

Weather Conditions

An early spring and warm May and June got the vineyards off to a good start, but record high temperatures accompanied in parts of the region by exceptionally low rainfall from mid-July through to early September stressed the vines and slowed down ripening. Fairly solid rain through the first three weeks of September then complicated matters further by introducing the risk of dilution. The weather turned friendlier at the end of the month, allowing the harvest to begin in early October. All the grapes were in by 15th. The fruit was healthy, with good sugar but lowish acidity.

Best Appellations

Early drinking vintage that, for the Sangiovese-based wines at least, was probably over-rated at the outset. In Chianti the vintage was officially ranked above the difficult 1991 and 1992, but below 1993. Producers who kept yields down made soft,fruity wines with nice ripe tannins butnot a lot of depth. In Montalcino the four-star rating turned out, with few exceptions, to be over generous for wines which didn’t have the structure for long barrel ageing. The best results came from Cabernet and Merlot which gave rich, chewy mono-varietals and added backbone to Sangiovese in many Super Tuscan blends.

Best Producers

Sangiovese wines made nice early drinking but have been overshadowed by the superb 1995s. Many Cabernet and Cabernet/Sangiovese blends however are still worth seeking out. Notable among these are Cafaggio’s mono-varietal Cortaccio, Elegia from Poliziano, Sanmarco from Rampolla and Querciabella’s Camartina. From the coast Antinori’s Guado al Tasso, Tua Rita’s Giusto di Notri and Ornellaia’s Merlot Massetto are all outstanding. Merlot also played a big part in the very good Siepi from Fonterutoli. Frescobaldi launched their joint venture with Mondavi by bringing out two vintages of Luce; the 1994 (aided and abetted again by Merlot) was very impressive.

drink soon

An outstandingly fine vintage

5/5

Weather Conditions

Early spring brought budding forward by up to ten days. Temperatures were warm through the summer but not excessive. The only problem – and it was limited to the higher sites in the centre of the region – was a degree of drought stress towards the beginning of August. Light rainfall at the beginning of September brought the vines back into equilibrium and a long sunny period preceded the harvest which took place in perfect conditions. Picking finished around ten days early in Chianti and about a week before usual in Montalcino. Quantities were down by 10-15%, but the quality of the fruit was exceptional across the whole of the region.

Best Appellations

An historic vintage for Sangiovese which gave intense and long lived wines, although compared to the two other great vintages of the decade, 1995 and 1997, the 1990s appear today perhaps more austere. They are undoubtedly powerful but they have a hard edge which the subsequent evolution of winemaking styles in Tuscany has tended to soften. 1990 could be considered the last great traditional vintage for Sangiovese, made for long keeping. Chianti Riservas are looking ready, although there is no hurry to drink them up. Brunello is drinking well, but the best bottles still have generous margins for development.

Best Producers

The most interesting wines to look for now from Chianti are Sangiovese Super Tuscans like Pergole Torte, Grosso Sanese, Fontalloro and Flaccianello or vineyard selections like Ama’s Bellavista. In a long list of powerful Brunellos, Poggio al Vento Riserva stands out as one of the stars of the vintage, together with Castelgiocondo, Mastrojanni’s Schiena d’Asino, Cerbaiona, Salvioni and the extremely pricey but very fine Biondi Santi Riserva.

drink now

An indifferent vintage with few worthwhile wines

2/5

Weather Conditions

A warm spring laid the basis for an abundant crop, but a relatively cool and unusually wet summer followed by steady rain in the first part of September compromised quality. The harvest was spread out over a long period. Producers who picked later in the month, after the weather had improved, got better results but everywhere in the region severe selection was necessary.

Best Appellations

A difficult year for Tuscany with patchy results. The wines generally had attractive colour but lacked the concentration of the best vintages, and with very few exceptions were definitely for drinking young. Virtually no Riservas were made in either Chianti or Montepulciano. Brunello came out best although there too the wines lacked punch.

Best Producers

At Montalcino Lisini, Poggio Antico, Costanti, Fuligni and Salvioni, whose Cerbaiola is still drinking surprising well, all made good wines.

drink soon

A great vintage, producing rich, ripe, concentrated wines of considerable stature

5/5

Weather Conditions

The spring was cool in the whole region of Tuscany and in Chianti in particular a late frost reduced quantities considerably. The summer was very hot and there were local problems of drought stress in the centre of the region, although this did not delay the harvest. The grapes were picked in perfect dry sunny conditions, up to ten days early in some places. The crop was small everywhere, with especially low yields in Montalcino. Producers reported differences in the sugar/acidity balance depending on microclimate, but the quality of the fruit was excellent everywhere.

Best Appellations

An outstanding vintage for Sangiovese similar to 1988, but with slightly higher acidity and more extract the 1985s had even better credentials for long ageing. Cooler areas like Rufina and the higher sites in Chianti Classico made wines with intense aroma as well as lots of body. Brunello and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano were very concentrated and rather unforthcoming when they were young, but they opened out splendidly and the best are still in peak condition today.

Best Producers

There was perhaps more variation than in 1988 , but the best 1985s were among the most exciting bottles of the decade. Selvapiana’s Riserva Bucerchiale was outstanding while in Chianti Classico the top Riservas came from Castello di Ama (Vigneto Bellavista) Vecchie Terre di Montefili and Felsina’s Vigneto Rancia. Poggio Antico, Case Basse and Poggio al Vento all made classic traditional style Brunello. Among the Super Tuscans, Fontodi’s Flaccianello was very impressive, and Tignanello turned in what was probably its best ever performance. Star of the vintage however was an incredibly rich, deep and silky Sassicaia.

drink now

A very poor vintage with no wines of note

1/5

Weather Conditions

The spring i n Tuscany was warm and sunny, but it rained in May and June and again, torrentially, through August and September. What fruit producers managed to harvest in Chianti and Montepulciano was soggy, under ripe and mouldy. The summer was slightly drier in Montalcino, but the harvest equally wet. The only area to partially escape the deluge was the coast.

Best Appellations

Ironically Chianti’s first vintage under the new quality enhancing DOCG laws was a write off. No Riservas were made and producers had to rely heavily on concentrated must to make even a nominal attempt at bottling vini d’annata. Severe selection and topping up with younger wines made a small production of Brunello possible, but it was wine to drink up early.

Best Producers

In the context of the vintage, the Tenuta San Guido made a remarkable Sassicaia with early drinking fruit, but also reassuring structure.