Bolgheri 2017 vintage report: Experience counts

Imagine a berry more similar to a blueberry than a grape: this is essentially a snapshot of the 2017 vintage in Bolgheri, one the hottest, driest years on record in Tuscany. There was not much confidence in this vintage, to be honest, nor were there many expectations after the great 2015 and the extraordinary 2016.

Bolgheri 2017

The best wines strike a balance between power and elegance despite the arid conditions of the vintage. 2017 is not up to the quality levels of 2015 and 2016, but is better than warm vintages such as 2012, 2007 and 2003.

4/5

Overview

A particularly mild winter, with temperatures over three degrees higher than the seasonal average and rains within the norm, prompted the vines to bud almost two weeks earlier than usual. A sudden drop in temperature on 9 April caused frost in various parts of the region. Thanks to the mitigating effect of the sea, five kilometres from the closest vineyards, temperatures remained above zero along the coast, preventing damage to the young buds. Both sides of the Bolgherese road – the western portion known as ‘sotto strada’ and the more esteemed, eastern portion called ‘sopra strada’ – were just barely grazed by the frost.

Flowering occurred under excellent conditions, but hot, dry weather resumed in May, limiting vegetative development and bunch size. There was virtually no rain in July and August – the first precipitation arriving on 15-16 September, benefitting only the late-ripening varietals still hanging on the vine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 25% loss in production across the territory was ultimately credited mainly to the dry vintage rather than the frost. ‘The individual grapes were very small,’ claimed Piero and Lodovico Antinori’s nephew, Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi of Le Crocine. Stefano Granata from I Luoghi, one of the top boutique wineries in Bolgheri, noted that ‘we suffered from the hot winds of August, which changed the shape of the leaves and were never able to recover.’

Factors

Meanwhile Axel Heinz, managing director of Ornellaia and Masseto recalled, ‘It was a very quick harvest. We harvested not by single plot, but following the age of the vineyards, beginning with the youngest which started to suffer. In the end, it was an easy harvest because we needed only to pick everything as soon as possible, without worrying over selections.’

Despite these less than fond recollections, there are several factors to consider in favour of 2017.

First of all, the higher average age of the vines supported the hot harvest in 2017 better than in 2003, 2007 or 2012 – half of Bolgheri’s vineyards were planted between 2000 and 2009, which means they are now approaching maturity. Even older vines exist, of course: the first vintage of Sassicaia was 1968, the first Ornellaia 1985 (planted in 1981), and Guado al Tasso 1990.

Secondly, as Niccolò Marzichi Lenzi explains, ‘the year was hot from the beginning, thus the vines were prepared for a warm vintage, without having suffered the same stress that ensued in 2012.’ Moreover, the vines stopped maturing earlier, never to recommence, which meant that tartaric acid and overall acidity remained high. The pH of the grapes was kept at bay due to the incapability of the roots to bring water and potassium from the soil. Quite surprisingly, almost all of the producers recorded low levels of pH in 2017, an arguably critical point for the evolution and longevity of this vintage.

The final aspect to consider is the changing panorama of grape varieties in Bolgheri. Today, 1,190 hectares are accounted for by Bolgheri DOC out of 1,370 total hectares. The next census is planned for the end of this year. According to the Consorzio’s managing director, Riccardo Binda, ‘Cabernet Franc is rising, mostly at the expense of Merlot.’ Between 2010 and 2017 the only red grape that showed an increase in planting was Cabernet Franc, rising from 8.9% to 12%.

Several producers are emerging with wines led by this varietal, following historic examples like Le Macchiole’s Paleo or Dedicato a Walter from Poggio al Tesoro. Tenuta Argentiera is working on a cru selection from a stunning vineyard called ‘Ventaglio’, appropriately named for its fan shape. Renowned technicians Alberto Antonini and Pedro Parra are launching the first Cabernet Franc of Tenuta Meraviglia fermented in concrete and aged in large oak vessels, producing a fairly different and more ‘northern’ style of this grape. Angelo Gaja was one of a handful of top producers to alter his top wine, Camarcanda, firstly inverting the amount of Cabernet Franc and Merlot within the blend, then removing entirely the early ripening Merlot.

Experience counts

In the end, the expertise of producers who survived the 2003 heatwave vintage proved an advantage for enduring the 2017 season. Among top producers, almost no wines showed jammy or cooked flavours. Of course, the phenolic ripeness of the grapes was challenging, making this vintage far from the perfection of 2016, but it was clear from the moment grapes arrived at the cellar that handling should be as delicate as possible. ‘Low temperatures, gentle extraction and short macerations were essential,’ reported Axel Heinz of Ornellaia and Masseto.

Initial impressions

The first tastings of the 2017 vintage were fairly surprising. Wines such as Sassicaia, Ornellaia, Grattamacco and also Masseto (100% Merlot) show precision on the nose with tamed extractions on the palate, striking a balance between both power and elegance. The significant lack in quantity alone makes 2017 a vintage to buy. Overall, I would give the vintage 4 out of 5 stars for the top wines, maybe less for the others. It may be one step below 2015 and two steps below 2016, but in my opinion it is definitely better than other warm vintages such as 2012, 2007 and 2003, and is more refined than 2011.

‘The 2017 vintage, despite some complications,’ said Albiera Antinori, president of the Consorzio Bolgheri DOC, ‘gave us great results. The most difficult challenge for the region will be to achieve an unmistakable style throughout the entire appellation in the future and a higher, broader quality in all categories of the DOC, which will be not easy considering the impressive levels we have already achieved.’

Bolgheri today is indeed facing an evolution. Notable investors have arrived in the region: Banfi, San Felice (Allianz), Tenuta Meraviglia (Bulgheroni), Feudi San Gregorio. They will exploit the top reputation of the appellation as a brand as well as invest in its quality. If history teaches us to look at the first wave at the end of the 1990s when producers such as Allegrini, Gaja and Folonari arrived in the region, this second wave could be just as beneficial.

Bolgheri 2017 – 35 wines rated:

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