BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2017 & BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA 2016
VINTAGE REPORT
Gurvinder Bhatia
It wasn’t so much the heat, but the drought, which is how most producers summed up the 2017 vintage for Brunello di Montalcino. And while the alcohol seems to awkwardly stand out in some wines, that is no different than in other warm vintages (and some “regular” vintages) including the relatively well regarded 2015. What seems evident is that wines from cooler sites – ie. higher elevations, the presence of cooling breezes, north and east exposures, and those surrounded by woodlands – fared better and were able to maintain freshness. What seems even more evident is that the great producers produce good wine regardless of the vintage – but their wines do reflect the particulars of the vintage, as they should. Lorenzo Magnelli at Le Chiuse calls 2017 a “modern vintage.” He says it was warm, but not like 2011 or 2003. The issue with 2017 was the lack of rain which, according to Magnelli, “makes it harder to get over-ripe grapes, so you don’t get the jammy flavours and you actually have good acidity in the wines. The problem in this kind of vintage is the opulence, sometimes the wine can be too heavy – too large, but not deep.” At Le Chiuse, they did their earliest harvest in their history – Sept 6th – 3 weeks earlier than usual to avoid “the opulence and preserve the freshness.” They also reduced maceration times from 24 days to 19 and the wine spent 30 months in old barrels versus the usual 36-38 months. The result was that the wine was bottled 6 months earlier than usual which, according to Magnelli, “helped the wine preserve a good integrity” and freshness and elegance, two of Le Chiuse’s hallmarks. Le Chiuse also benefits from a north facing exposure, relatively high elevation (300m+) and clay soils which retain moisture better – all mitigating factors given the warm and dry conditions of the 2017 vintage. Laura Gray, estate manager at il Palazzone since 2003, indicated that “our oldest vineyard, La Vecchia, fared extremely well in spite of the 2017 heat and drought thanks to its very developed root system. Fruit from our cru vineyard, Le Due Porte, high in elevation (540m), northwest facing with ‘fresh’ soils and great ventilation and thermal excursion, surrounded by woodlands, was crucial to our interpretation of 2017” in which il Palazzone only produced their annata. Producers also had to be strict with their selection to avoid astringency and bitter tannins. As Gray says, “we had smaller grapes and fewer grapes than usual and we did a lot of pre-pick selection in the fields to get rid of heat-damaged grapes and, as always, our vibrating sorting table proved invaluable. We brought forward our harvest date, picking intermittently from 13th-20th September. This was the first time in our history that we ever brought in Le Due Porte before 1st October. Our total 2017 production is approximately 30% less than our 2016 production.” In addition to the 2017 annata, the 2016 Riservas were tasted at the latest edition of Benvenuto Brunello in Montalcino, held in November 2021. The 2016 vintage is much heralded (the 2016 Brunello vintage report appeared in the Fall 2021 issue of Quench, which can be viewed online at www.quench.me) and there are so many outstanding Riservas on offer. Perhaps the lesson learned from Benvenuto Brunello 2021 is that the best of the 2017 Brunelli are elegant and pleasurable and likely early drinking – ideal for restaurants, for those who do not want to or are not able to cellar their wines and for those to have wines to drink while waiting for the 2016 Riservas to age, evolve and develop into the stunning wines so many of them already are and will continue to be for the next 15-20 years and more.
BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO ANNATA & VIGNA
Le Chiuse Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, 2017
Col d’Orcia Brunello di Montalcino DOCG ‘Vigna Nastagio’, 2016
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
The elegance, vibrancy and balance in Le Chiuse’s wines are striking and make then incredibly pleasurable to drink when young, but allow them to age gracefully. Spice, berries, forest floor, earthy notes and silky tannins combine for a firm, yet inviting wine with a lingering, mineral finish.
Created as a result of a collaboration with the University of Florence, the Nastagio is youthful and approachable with aromas and flavours of red and black berries, plum, tobacco, fresh herbs and spice, firm, velvety tannins, nicely integrated with bright acidity and an underlying structure that should allow this to develop nicely for years to come.
Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino DOCG ‘La Casaccia’, 2017 The aromas on this wine are captivating with floral, spice, black cherry, mint and earth. Incredibly complex with penetrating flavours that mirror and compliment the aromas, silky, grippy tannins, electric texture, mineral, juicy, focused, balanced and long.
Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, 2017 An abundance of perfumed tart red fruit, savoury herbs, spice and flinty notes with a firm, youthful backbone and elegant, precise tannins surrounded by morello cherries and wild berries, energetic and bright, concentrated and expressive, finishing long and mouth-watering. Delicious!
Lisini Brunello di Montalcino DOCG ‘Ugolaia’, 2016 A pretty wines that while possessing an abundance of youthful, fresh fruit, stays elegant and restrained with well-integrated acidity, refined tannins, electric minerality, savoury spice, tight core and impeccable balance. Enjoy its evolution over the next 10-15 years.
Padelletti Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, 2017 It takes a bit of time for this wine to express itself, but once it starts to open up, the perfume is alluring with dusty herbs, dried cherries and leather. Lively and graceful on the palate with bright red berries, spice and balsamic notes, refined tannins and a mineral, mouth-watering freshness.
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