Brunello di Montalcino 2016: vintage report and top wines

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

You may also like:

Rosso di Montalcino: Brunello’s charming little brother

Brunello di Montalcino 2004: a retrospective

Castello Banfi: producer profile plus 14 wines tasted