Chianti Classico 2020 & 2019: New releases

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. [subscriber-content][breakout] 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 [/breakout] <a href="https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/search?query=#filter[appellation][0]=808&filter[appellation][1]=803&filter[appellation][2]=806&filter[appellation][3]=729&filter[appellation][4]=544&filter[appellation][5]=809&filter[appellation][6]=804&filter[appellation][7]=807&filter[appellation][8]=2051&filter[appellation][9]=542&filter[tasting_date][from]=2022-03-21%2000:00:00&filter[tasting_date][to]=2022-03-21%2000:00:00&order[score_average]=desc&page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">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. [caption id="attachment_480338" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Michaela Morris was particularly impressed by the single-vineyard Chianti Classico bottlings from Istine. Pictured is Angela Fronti, winemaker and owner.[/caption] 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. [/subscriber-content] Michaela's top picks of Chianti Classico 2020 plus late releases from 2019 & 2018 <a href="https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/search?query=#filter[appellation][0]=808&filter[appellation][1]=803&filter[appellation][2]=806&filter[appellation][3]=729&filter[appellation][4]=544&filter[appellation][5]=809&filter[appellation][6]=804&filter[appellation][7]=807&filter[appellation][8]=2051&filter[appellation][9]=542&filter[tasting_date][from]=2022-03-21%2000:00:00&filter[tasting_date][to]=2022-03-21%2000:00:00&order[score_average]=desc&page=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">See all 100 of Michaela's Chianti Classico tasting notes & scores from her reports

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Chianti Classico 2020 & 2019: New releases

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

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

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