VINTAGE PREVIEW: BRUNELLO 2019
It’s a vintage to bring cheer to Tuscany lovers’ hearts, and the first of what is being billed as a strong run of three to come. The successful 2019 Brunello wines offer richness, balance and immediate appeal while also managing to avoid excess
When a year is great, there is no need to say anything,’ quips Gigliola Giannetti at Le Potazzine. ‘Everything was as it should be.’ Mostly, that is. It should be noted that winter 2018-2019 was typical of the current worrying trend – slightly warmer than the norm, lower-than-average rainfall and little snow to speak of. Only estates at high elevations, such as Il Palazzone (up to 540m, with new plantings approaching 600m) and Poggio Antico (averaging about 480m), reported minor flurries. Crucially, temperatures remained sufficiently cool to keep bud break at bay until early April, sparing growers from late-season frost, and disease pressure remained low, as evidenced by the lack of mushrooms in the forest, according to Alessio Sostegni, winemaker at Poggio Antico.
While there was a characteristically hot and dry summer, temperature spikes above 35°C were minimal and never prolonged. Hefty rainfall (70mm in two days) at the end of July topped up reserves and a modest sprinkling at the end of August was welcome. Two further showers in September – one at the beginning, one mid-month – served to delay harvest, allowing further phenolic ripening and diluting grapes enough to curb alcohol levels.
‘September was beautiful,’ says Andrea Costanti, describing warm days, windy evenings and cool nights leading to a harvest that was neither late nor significantly early. The balmiest corners of the Montalcino region’s southwest began picking on 10 September. In the north, most producers brought in grapes between the last 10 days of September and the first week of October. Finally, in the highest and coolest areas, harvest lasted until mid-October.
Producers from all corners and elevations of the zone remarked on the quality of the grapes, which were clean and abundant in polyphenols. ‘It was as if they were painted,’ enthuses Sostegni, saying they barely had to discard any berries. Giacomo Bartolommei at Caprili concurs. ‘All the grapes were excellent, whereas in 2016 (also rated a five-star ‘outstanding’ vintage by the Brunello consorzio) we had both high quality and lesser quality grapes.’
2019 was a prolific year. The consorzio reports a production of 13.1m bottles – by far the highest of the last five years. Generous quantities may be attributed to favourable conditions during flowering, but it is also possible that the vines had finally rebounded after the stress of heat and drought in 2017 (w
