In Chablis, spirits are high for the prospects of 2014. But Mother Nature was not in a mood to help us and the weather remained unsettled. Early maturing and accesable. Here's your free guide to the most relevant vintages in the most significant regions. But the standout is clearly Sicily, where weather conditions improved at the end of June and the vineyards enjoyed a warm and dry growing season typical to the island. Budburst was early with generally warm temperatures throughout the English summer. Topics: Vintage Chart, Vintages. 2018: a super Tuscan vintage? Lower-than-average yields. This warning comes on the back of the 2014 vintage, which at a very early stage, well before any grapes were harvested, was condemned as the worst in memory, some going as far as to say that anyone wanting to make red wine in 2014 was doomed to fail, yet in reality there were many positive surprises, especially for Italy’s whites. “We were so worried during the summer," she said. Grim news from the fruit basket of France, with this report that we are keeping anonymous: 'awful (very rainy) in Languedoc-Roussillon: vintage will be less bad than last year, mainly for red wines, but not excellent I'm afraid …'. Many say quality matched 2015, but add that 2016 is different in style. “The aromatic profile is absolutely intriguing and the mouthfeel is extremely balanced.”, The region’s cellar-worthy reds, notably Veneto’s Amarone, will probably suffer more, as they are typically known for their concentration and abundant flavor. Selection was important, he added, especially in Montalcino, where there were attacks of Drosophila suzukii, the Asian vinegar fly. 89R 2012: Italy: Tuscany (Bolgheri) ... 2017: Portugal Vintage Port. We had a very wet period from December through to February with 44% more rain than normal. The weather improved, delivering sunshine and dry conditions that favored the late-ripening varieties like Barbera and Nebbiolo and the favored locations of the best crus. Growing seasons vary enormously from year to year. The bad news: The year was difficult for Dolcetto, thanks to hail, and white wine grapes, especially Moscato. From Piedmont to Puglia, summer was wet, cool and cloudy, requiring countless hours in the vineyards. © Copyright 2020 Wine Spectator. Disease, including peronospora and acetic rot, meant that vineyard management and selection was necessary in order to harvest healthy grapes. The vintage chart and harvest reports provided by the Wine Scholar Guild gives you the ranking for every French wine region and vintage from 2000 to today. Many grapes struggled for ripeness, making the production of the more profound wines, especially red, somewhat more challenging. To counter the wet conditions, quality-oriented producers needed to do extensive work in the vineyards to battle disease and encourage ripening despite few sunny days. Early summer produced good conditions for flowering, then a cooler August but hot September meant there was plenty of time to ripen the fruit without risk of rot. 83E 2014: Portugal Vintage Port. Nebbiolo is picked at Barolo's G.D. Vajra. A first look at vintage quality in Italian wine regions, with eyewitness reports from growers and winemakers The 2011 growing season was erratic in Italy. Rainfall differed from place to place, however. In the fourth of five 2012 vintage reports, winemakers across the Italian boot are reporting a promising vintage after a year of hard work. Find wine by searching the most popular, best, most expensive and cheapest. While J&B's main competitor, Berry Bros & Rudd... Or, view previous article: Berry Bros' quirky Italians. Seamless season of heavenly hangtime and phenomenal phenolic developmentFebruary saw abundant rains, followed by lots of filtered light in spring and early summer. Good - but not over-the-top - intensity and concentration, excellent balance promises wine for the long haul. Acidity levels were slightly lower than in 2013 with an average of 8.29 g/l and average pH of 3.02.'. But even hard work could not completely counter summer’s poor weather, and growers had to carefully select in the vineyards to avoid grapes affected by peronospora, a type of mold, in Trentino-Alto Adige and various vine diseases in the Veneto region. As I write, the larger Langhe estates are still feverishly gathering up the last of the Nebbiolo harvest, the still-warm sun lighting up the stunning autumn colours. The good news: Quality is better than expected, particularly for the late-ripening Nebbiolo. Luca Marrone, enologist for Grattamacco, Colle Massari and Poggio di Sotto, wrote that there was more rain in the Bolgheri area than in Montecucco and the southern sector of Montalcino. 2014 Thor Motor Coach TUSCANY, 2014 Thor Motor Coach TUSCANY - Please email or call for the full list of the features, availability or anything else we can send to help you. Challenging grapes: Dolcetto, Moscato, and grapes grown in hail-struck parts of Barolo. Popping open a bottle of wine shouldn’t be a shot in the dark. 2014 Napa Valley – Vintage Report. “We picked without refrigerated trucks, and it was the first time we picked white grapes in the afternoon.”. Smaller than usual crop—on average 20 percent less. Picking started: Sept. 10 (for white grapes in Bolgheri); Sept. 4 to 10 (Maremma and Bolgheri) and Sept. 15 (Montalcino) and Sept. 20 (Chianti Classico) for red grapes. Wine collectors who are attuned to vintage may be inclined to give the 2014 wines from Brunello di Montalcino a pass, considering how rain and cool temperatures made it … For California, 2014 brought another year of record-breaking drought. The rains continued, and the humidity—combined with rapid vegetative growth—kept vintners on their toes. Potential alcohol levels were good at 10 ° for Chardonnay, 10.02 ° for Pinot Noir and 9.5 ° for Pinot Meunier, requiring very little chaptalisation. For America's East Coast, winter brought a deep freeze. See our Tuscany vintage report to find out if the Brunello di Montalcino 2015 vintage lived up to high expectations, and how the Chianti Classico 2017 vintage has fared This stopped any rot developing and allowed 'optimum ripeness' to be reached. The achingly beautiful Tuscany region of Italy is a touchstone of art, food, and culture. And the wines? After months of spending time, sweat and money in their vineyards, it's the moment to see what nature delivered. The relatively mild sum… The world's most trusted authority in wine for over 30 years. Vintage quality: Poor. We published this report,  Gloom in Barolo country, on a dire summer in Piemonte back in July and reports suggest that the challenging conditions persisted. In others, no amount of work could save the season. Learn about the 2012 Tuscan vintage; from what happened to which wines are available by region, price and location. Yields are lower than 2013’s bumper crop and a bit below the average for each region. The wet, combined with warm temperatures, increased pressure from fungal diseases. Tuscany. Mumm, undoing the very wet August with warm drying winds. In Styria, Willi Sattler apparently said 'he has never encountered such a demanding and stressful vintage' in 30 years of making wine, with a lack of ripeness and excessive rot thereatening quality. Find wine by searching the most popular, best, most expensive and cheapest. Share this post. Find wine by searching the most popular, best, most expensive and cheapest. 'The skin is pale yellow, which shows the ripeness without excess, with thick, ripe skins. Tuscany. If there's one sure sign of autumn in full swing for the wine trade, it's the influx of vintage reports hitting inboxes. Worldwide shipping. For example, they expect to make half their average quantity of Solaia this year – 3,500 cases instead of 7,000. Summer's rains and cool temperatures made for a tough year. The best red wines and white wines from Tuscany. Analysis: After a mild winter and early spring, Piedmont's July was marked by violent storms with high rainfall and hail in some areas of Barolo that mostly affected Dolcetto grapes. The prospects for Sauternes hang (pun intended) in the balance, according to Bill Blatch of Bordeauxgold.com. 95R 2013: Italy: Tuscany (Bolgheri) Ready to drink. Despite atypical weather, general assessments range from “a very good vintage” from winemakers in the regions of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto, to an enthusiastic “outstanding” from some in Trentino-Alto Adige. Comments . Learn about the 2014 Tuscany vintage; what happened that year and which wines are available by region, price and location. 2015 proved to be a solid vintage for Tuscany's Chianti Classico. The Vintage Report has become a must-attend event for the most influential wineries in Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Narbonne and Paso Robles. “We have to go back 18 years before we find another summer as cold and rainy,” said Alvaro Pecorari, owner of Lis Neris in Friuli. Both bud break and flowering occurred a bit late, but under ideal weather conditions, creating plentiful and even fruit set. Barbera in Asti, which was also spared from hail and witnessed warmer summer temperatures and less rain. Average of 86 points in 2 community wine reviews on 2014 Biagio Chianti, plus professional notes, label images, wine details, and recommendations on when to drink. Pierro Antinori, pictured above, reports that the summer was very rainy, with lower temperatures than the norm – and admitted that 2014 is a 'challenging vintage' with far lower yields. 2014: Italy: Tuscany (Bolgheri) Early maturing and accesable. The year 2014 was one of the coolest, wettest ones in recent memory on mainland Italy, and the Montalcino region in Tuscany was no exception.But thanks to … But these areas experienced many of the same difficulties faced by the rest of Italy and Europe. In the fourth of five 2014 vintage reports, Italian winemakers report a challenging but potentially good year. For California, 2014 brought another year of record-breaking drought. 2014; 2012 Rosso di Montalcino (Dec 2014) Tuscany Part 2: Bolgheri, the Tuscan Coast and More Super-Tuscans (Dec 2014) Val d’Orcia, Montepulciano, Carmignano and the Undiscovered Tuscany (Oct 2014) Exploring the Tuscan Coast (Sep 2014) Chianti Classico and Beyond – New Releases (Sep 2014) 89E A mild winter and spring saw vines ahead of schedule by about two weeks in April. Pierro Antinori, pictured above, reports that the summer was very rainy, with lower temperatures than the norm – and admitted that 2014 is a 'challenging vintage' with far lower yields. Here are a few snippets of what we've heard, quite literally, on the grapevine. Elsewhere, the thin-skinned Muskateller was particularly susceptible to the rain. With volumes returning to average after the smaller 2017 harvest, Tuscan producers were pleased with the 2018 vintage. Producers who attended to their vineyards carefully in summer months were rewarded by September’s fair weather, including sunny days that helped the grapes reach greater ripeness levels. Summer brought generous sun during the day and cooler marine influences, virtually uninterrupted by major heat spikes. Ella Lister, founder of Wine Lister, reports on a three-day tour of Tuscany to gauge the mood among Chianti Classico, 'Super Tuscan' and Brunello di Montalcino producers.. In Burgenland, the St. Laurent and Blaüfrankisch grapes have particularly suffered, although the final judgement as to quality is still pending. The growing season endured both severe April frosts and a searing summer heatwave. My first tastings from barrel suggest that Napa Valley's producers have a highly promising vintage on their hands. Some storms on 19 September damaged St-Pourçain in particular, with 80% of bunches being hit by hail. Axel Heinz of Ornallaia and Masseto noted that it was important to control fungal diseases and keep the canopy healthy to take advantage of the late-season ripening. Give 2 Wine Spectator gift subscriptions for the price of 1 this holiday season. Still tannic, youthfull, or slow to mature. Unbiased, professional tasting notes, reviews, articles, videos, daily news and much more. This year's growing season was less uniform, and the grape skins were thinner and more pliable than last year's. Up and down "the Boot," winemakers from Piedmont to Tuscany to Sicily report a challenging summer, The Northeast: Venezia-Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige and the Veneto, Somms' Top Picks: Wines to Give, Fave Accessories, Making Wine Fit for a Sun Goddess: A Live Chat with Mary J. Blige, Instagram Live Chats: View Wine Spectator's Upcoming Schedule, Exclusive: Heitz Cellar Owner and CEO Buy Stony Hill Vineyard, Wine and Cheese a Perfect Pairing to Prevent Alzheimer's, Study Finds, Grand Award–Winning Fine-Dining Fixture ‘21’ Club Closes in New York, In Lebanese Wine, Perseverance Is Part of the Terroir. For example, they expect to make half their average quantity of … Ripe Sangiovese is ready to be picked at Le Casalte in Montepulciano. We have some fantastic financing plans and take trades also! The juice has a remarkable balance, with nice acidity, without too much malic acid', says Gregory Viennois of Dom Laroche. It is our #1 goal that your experience with our … In Tuscany and farther south, it was hotter, and vintners with dry soils faced big challenges.… Producers in the northeastern corner of Italy seem optimistic about the 2011 vintage. After an early budbreak, rainstorms hit again in early July, causing 'extraordinary damage, flooding the local railway station and precipitating an avalanche of rock and mud that destroyed the car of a well-known wine maker in the village (fortunately nobody was in the car at the time)'. The world's most trusted authority in wine for over 30 years. Disover Tuscan vintages with Cadman Fine Wines. 2015 Vintage Chart and Wine Guide. Vintage 2015 Progress Report – Tuscany & Abruzzo . “Asti is fantastic because there we had much higher temperatures in the summer, no hail and half the rain of the Alba region,” explained Luca Currado, owner and winemaker at Vietti, who makes several Barberas from both regions. Autumnal Nebbiolo Grapes – La Mora, San Lorenzo Piedmont. This allowed the pickers to be very selective in the vineyards in order to reach the maximum yield of 10,500 kg/ha plus 3,100 kg/ha for reserves set down by the Comité Champagne. 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