Brunello di Montalcino 2014: What to look for

Italy’s infamous 2014 vintage has been exhaustively narrated as one region after another released their wines. It was finally Brunello’s turn to face the music…

Arriving in Montalcino, it was clear that this area was not spared Mother Nature’s dour disposition. Difficile is the first word that tends to escape producers’ lips. ‘We prefer to use the English term, challenging,’ says Gianlorenzo Neri at Casanova di Neri.And I learnt a new Italian word. Esile, or slender, was how producers repeatedly defined their 2014s. In both its positive and negative senses, this is an apt descriptor.

Quick links

View all 2014 Brunello di Montalcinos from the report

View all Brunello di Montalcinos (including Riservas) from the report

The growing season

The cool, wet conditions of spring continued through the summer until August. With few days of sunshine and less wind than average, mildew was as big a concern as getting grapes ripe.

Summer didn’t really arrive until 10 September and beautiful weather continued until early October, giving a small window to coax ripeness and pick the grapes before the autumn rains.

Producers were obliged to work at least twice as hard for an average of 30% less. The vines required constant attention, such as removing leaves, green harvesting and repeated spraying for fungal disease – for the increasing number of organic and biodynamic producers in the zone, 2014 was potentially devastating.

Katia Nussbaum at San Polino, which practises biodynamic viticulture, estimates making 50% less wine than average but defends her methods: ‘It was actually somewhat easier because the plants’ immune systems were already reinforced,’ she explains, ‘and you already have a habit of going in the vineyard more often.’

Terroir

Terroir arguably contributed to a wine’s success. ‘The north side of Montalcino generally tends to ripen slower,’ says Francesco Buffi at Azienda Baricci, explaining that the vineyards here benefitted from the improved weather late season.

Conversely, Francesca Bindocci at Il Poggione saw an advantage to being in the southwest where, she explains, ‘It’s moderately warmer and also very well-ventilated, which helped dry the grapes after the rain.’

A well-draining soil was equally crucial according to Laura Brunelli of Gianni Brunelli: ‘The vines on galestro dried out first and these gave the greater characteristics.’

Ageability

Like Biondi-Santi, Giulio Salvioni and others, Conti Costanti did not release a 2014 Brunello, ‘Not because it wasn’t good but because it wouldn’t age,’ asserts owner Andrea Costanti.

Indeed the prevailing sentiment is that 2014 is an immediately approachable vintage with less cellaring potential. ‘We define it as a wine for restaurants,’ says Neri. Yet Francesco Ripaccioli of Canalicchio di Sopra is among a handful of producers who believe otherwise: ‘They have great potential for ageing because the acidity, which is fundamental for ageing, is there,’ he asserts. But it’s fair to say that these will be rare exceptions, and will always retain the character of the vintage – fragrant, slender and vertical.

Style

The 2014s have the flavour of Brunello with the structure of Rosso, owing to the necessary gentle extraction of the harvest’s delicate fruit. In general, they are graceful in frame with charming floral and red-fruited nuances, mouthwatering acidity and attractive fragility. They will show brilliantly immediately and over the next five to eight years.

‘What was important in 2014 was to have the courage to make a 2014,’ says Alessandro Mori of Il Marroneto. Indeed, the least successful wines are not just those that are clearly diluted or under-ripe, they are also the wines that have been over-extracted or overdone in an effort to make the wine something it isn’t.

2014 is an atypical vintage for Brunello but it’s best expressed as what it is. The finest are not just balanced in their proportions but pure, perfumed and gorgeously elegant expressions of Sangiovese. Hopefully my notes provide some guidance on which producers achieved that in this tricky year.

Standout producers:

Lisini

Canalicchio di Sopra

Il Marroneto

Gianni Brunelli

Poggio di Sotto

Michaela’s top Brunello 2014 wines to buy:

View all 2014 Brunello di Montalcinos from the report

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