drink soon
An irregular vintage with notable highs and lows
Weather Conditions
A warm spring and hot summer brought the vegetative cycle forward and abundant sunshine in September provided a perfect run in to the harvest. There was a last minute hiccup however in some parts of the region, caused by heavy rain at the beginning of October. The south and the coast escaped lightly. The northern parts of Chianti were more affected, but even there most producers had three quarters of the grapes in before the rain. The fruit was healthy, with average sugar levels and, for Sangiovese at least, slightly higher acidity than producers have seen generally over the past ten years.
Best Appellations
A classic Sangiovese vintage which has matured well. Straight Chianti had typical firm and slightly nervy Sangiovese character, but also good fruit and aroma. The best wines were the Chianti Riservas where the extra concentration gave the basis for bottle ageing, and wines from the south of the region, in particular Brunello and Vino Nobile di Montalcino. The wines are perhaps a little austere but intense and very interesting on the nose.
Best Producers
Among the Chianti Riservas Felsina’s Vigneto Rancia, from the south of the region, is an excellent representative of the vintage. In the northern part of Chianti there were good Cabernets from Nozzole (Il Pareto) and Cafaggio (Cortaccio). From Montalcino wines to look for include Val di Suga (Vigna del Lago) Caparzo (La Casa) Argiano and Mastrojanni (Schiena d’Asino). Boscarelli (Riserva del Nocio), Il Macchione Riserva and Avignonesi’s Riserva Grandi Annate show the quality of Vino Nobile.
