Tasting and assessing 2020 and 2019 Rosso, 2017 Brunello Annata, Vigna and 2016 Riserva DOCG

By Michael Godel

The year was 2020. We said arrivederci e ci vediamo to Montalcino on a mild and still February afternoon. Little did we or anyone know that a return engagement would not be possible until the fall of 2021. During that 20-month hiatus I hosted and moderated six webinars in Canada with more than 25 Montalcino producers. Each session was accompanied by a thematic article profiling each producer.

In November of 2021 and with thanks to the Conzorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino, compatriot Michaela Morris and I dove headfirst into more than 200 current releases. This was accomplished through two immersive eight-hour sommelier-assisted assessment sessions of Montalcino’s sangiovese, 12 estate visits and meetings, all over the course of five days. Tasted at Benvenuto Brunello 2021, Drogheria Franci, Caffè Fiaschetteria Italiana 1888, Il Giglio and Trattoria Il Pozzo. Cortonesi and Tenuta Buon Tempo. San Polo, Le Potazzine, Tenuta Fanti, Poggio di Sotto and Fattoria dei Barbi. Biondi-Santi, Conti Costanti, Castello di Romitorio and Le Ragnaie. All because of and in the name of sangiovese, tissue of Rosso, bones of Brunello, grape of the future.

Related – Godello’s Montalcino Previews

Summing up that last Benvenuto Brunello in 2020 I noted that “Anteprime di Toscana’s culminating 2020 presentation of 2018 Rosso DOC and 2015 Brunello DOCG raised the bar for Montalcino’s venerable sangiovese.” Later I would write, “no one of sound mind passes up the opportunity to taste Brunello from Montalcino. When I think of Brunello di Montalcino there are two things that come to mind: sangiovese and time. Longevità e tempo. Contrasts and comparisons are unnecessary, neither to other grape varieties nor to wine regions that also fashion structured red wines. The sangiovese of Montalcino are like the eponymous medieval hilltop village, an island in a sea of vast varietal openness. They share the impossibility of undergoing the slightest shift in meaning or change, that is, without the assistance of time. They are incomparable, generous and durable but also part of a great community, finding permanence and always seeking to endure. As do their makers and protectors.”

Consorzio President Fabrizio Bindocci and Direttore Michele Fontana

The 2021 vintage

On April 8, 2021, mail from Tommaso Cortonesi brought news of the early April frosts. “Here in Montalcino, the Covid situation is under control but in the last couple of days we had to fight a dangerous enemy. Temperatures lower than 0°C. Last night, several producers in Montosoli including me, Capanna, Baricci and Val di Suga, decided to burn hay bales to try to protect the vines with the smoke. Fortunately the vegetative state of the vines is still quite early so we hope this action has limited the possible damages.”

Despite a significant reduction for yields in many parts of Montalcino, the reasons for optimism are manyfold. Higher elevations above the frost danger zones, say 400–450m and up, especially to the northwest, for the most part remained unscathed. The vines had yet to fully awaken at estates like Corte Pavone, Le Potazzine, Castello di Romotorio and Le Ragnaie. By September things were looking up in many sectors of Montalcino. Though production will be down, significantly so for many estates, the whisper for outstanding Rosso and Brunello is surely in the air.

Prospects look promising at the end of the harvest, not for a bountiful vintage but surely one of high quality. A week to 10 days into September the temperatures fluctuated 15–20 degrees. On September 7, the high was 29 and the low was 11. This made for excellent acidity retention aboard the march to phenolic ripeness. Picking began in younger and lower elevation vineyards around the third week of September; early October for vineyards at higher elevations. The challenge was to find a way to keep the link with the sangiovese of Montalcino and—in a warm vintage—not to go too far, neither in extraction nor maceration, in order to deliver a respectful wine. Usually 25–30 days, but more like 18–20 in 2017. Also a 26–30-degree fermentation when some vintages it can be as high as 34, if only for a few days. In many cases the fermentations were some of the slowest on recent record. In fact, as of November 18, one of Cortonesi’s vats was still at 4–5 g/L of residual sugar and would only likely finish in the first week of December. What Tommaso called “sluggish because of the low level of yeasts.”

The 2017 vintage

The elephant in the room is obvious and most producers answer before the question is even posed. From a winemaker, oenologist and proprietor you will be hit with this recurring refrain. “You will be surprised by the freshness and acidity of the 2017, despite the warm vintage.” It was hot and dry and, says Filippo Chia of Castello di Romitorio, “that’s what you need in high elevation vineyards surrounded by forests.” When asked about the 2017 Brunellos, the pragmatic Andrea Costanti suggests they come from a vintage “to introduce new people to Brunello di Montacino” and by extension a good Brunello for restaurants, sommeliers and licensees to take notice.

Francesco Ripaccioli of Canalicchio di Sopra remembers 2017 with almost wistful affection. He explains that following a summer with 20 days above 35°C, September brought about a big surprise. After 40 mm of rain on August 31, phenolic maturation happened very slowly over the next month and finished late. Veraison at CdS did not begin until September and took nearly 30 days. “Even if you had a dry season (like 2017), you had this temperature fluctuation of on average 25 degrees by day and nine by night. That allowed you to harvest late, with preserved acidity and alcohol not so high. The plants were working very slowly with their reserve of water. [The vintages] of 2017 and 2012 for me are very similar, as seasons, where grapes and their skins wanted to oxidize but September changed everything. We went to school from 2012.”

Calling the 2017 vintage “small” does not adequately describe the tiny quantities of wine produced. “We tried to extract less and keep it on the lighter side,” says Alberto Machetti of Tenuta Buon Tempo. For Riccardo Campinoti of Le Ragnaie yields and production were down 10–15 per cent, at least as compared with the previous two vintages. For Campinoti, 2017 is a vintage of “unfinished tannins.” Not quite fully ripe and yet acidity never fell away. Another example of how Brunello can be sold now and for the next five years, especially to restaurants and shops for immediate or near-term consumption.

Riserva 2016

“In the beginning 2016 was…not enough,” begins the soliloquy by Fattoria dei Barbi’s Stefano Cinelli Colombini. “But after a year it changed.” Reading deeper one understands that time is the answer, for sangiovese, Brunello and 2016. “This is why Riserva should be sold after eight or 10 years,” continues Cinelli Colombini. “The problem with tradition is we make a mistake that if it exists, there must be a meaning inherent, otherwise it would not have taken so long. The mistake we make is between what is actually a tradition and the sense of tradition. You only need to taste to know that wine is the most democratic thing in the world.” This so beautifully sums up Riserva and 2016. As a vintage no other in the last seven-plus years is so intrinsically bonded with the grape and how it is raised from the territory. Sangiovese and its need for time is the connection and even though 2016 is not one of those touted in barrel as of the decade, century or of the ages, it is in fact at least one of those, if not all of them.

Molte sane, repeats Andrea Costanti, as if by mantra, through the course of the 45 minutes while we taste, consider and assess his Riserva 2016. Not just Costanti’s but dozens upon dozens of 2016 Riserva. They are of the healthiest sangiovese spoken in great, sheer and utter clarity. Wines that may be described as a fineness of liquid chalkiness, fluido or scorrevole. The 2015s may have shown heady structure, power and also generosity but the 2016s are the complete package because they are also filled with delicasse, elegance and grace.

Wall of Rosso and Brunello di Montalcino

Changes in agriculture and fermentation

Federico Radi is the incumbent oenologist at Biondi Santi, having worked previously at Isole e Olena and Mazzei Bolgheri, Radi is looking at regenerative agriculture and making compost integrating manure. This specialized organic matter must be like black butter, aged several months before mixing into the soils. Radi is also working with cover crops and little disturbance to the soils. “We really want within the next five years to reach 2.5 per cent of organic matter in the soils.” Federico is a real fan of Noam Chomsky, also known as a cognitive scientist and he feels the need to keep the carbon in the soils, to help reduce that 25 per cent that agriculture contributes to release harmful substances into the soils. “I’m sad when I see the grey and dusty soils. It shows they are dead. This needs to be improved. We have seen in two years that we have different soils so we have to tailor the cover crops to each section. It’s a matter of regenerative but also preventative agriculture.” The plan is to keep alcohol levels from rising.“We want Biondi-Santi to stay under 14 per cent.” And so a nursery was started, “from the beginning.” Radi insists that it would be dangerous to live with only one clone of sangiovese, so 50 varieties are propagated.

Filippo Chia of Castello di Romitorio is getting even more specific. He talks about one of the major introductions being smaller berries, spargolo berries. Moving away from traditional cask aging may also be a step towards a future in which producers combat climate change with fresh ideas. For instance at Tenuta Buon Tempo, Alberto Maccheti has been installing new concrete tanks to replace the more than 20-year-old 64 hL Garbelotto casks. “Whatever it takes” seems to be the prevailing attitude for a region that has to—must do—something.

With Francesco Rippacioli (Canalicchio di Sopra) and Tommaso Cortonesi (La Mennella)

Much ado and what to do about Rosso di Montalcino

In 2020 I wrote that “culturally speaking Rosso di Montalcino is the most important wine. It’s what the Montalcinese drink daily. It’s a Monday night, a winemaker’s night off. There is work to be done in the morning so it wouldn’t be prudent to drink anything heavy or expensive. What to open? The answer is obvious and easy. Rosso di Montalcino. More than one Montalcino winemaker has used the phrase ‘it’s what we like to drink’ and just as many will tell you that Rosso must reflect sangiovese’s character more than any other wine. What we know is that the Rosso are the protagonists of the new market.”

“The most fascinating thing about Rosso di Montalcino is that every producer has a unique philosophy and a personal relationship with the appellative wine. To some it persists in the old-school way, that is to think of it as a ‘baby Brunello,’ or second wine, if you will. The days of Rosso being considered only in this way are long past. The baby Brunello concept now acquiesces to the notion of Rosso strictly made for Rosso, with great purpose and also meaning. There are some Rosso that really need to be considered and assessed just as you would Brunello and it is only where such structured sangiovese fit relative to the estate’s other Brunello that need qualify it as Rosso. In today’s Montalcino, one’s Rosso is another’s Brunello. It’s now more than ever a matter of location, soil and altitude.”

“Rosso can refer to the sangiovese berries themselves, meaning the winemaker will pick the largest for Rosso, the medium berries for Brunello and the smallest ones for Riserva. Others will designate vineyards to the Rosso, or plant new ones and use the youngest fruit. Still there will be some who pass through all their vines and designate specific blocks, referring to it and even labelling it as a cru. Finally there are some who wait and craft Rosso in the cellar, after the fruit has come in and been pressed. There are many ways to skin a Rosso but these days it is always a wine treated with respect. In terms of elévage, Rosso will more likely than not be raised in big barrels but not the Grandi Botti often used for the Brunello. As for vine age it seems the sweet spot is between 15 and 20 years.”

Rosso di Montalcino could and should be elevated to DOCG status. To do so requires collective investment and also a mandatory minimum aging period in wood. The 2019 vintage is proof of why Rosso needs to once again be revisited, to be considered in its own light and of its own accord. This is because as a vintage much less Rosso was made, simply by the reason of across the board quality, raising the prospect of making more Brunello. A matter of available quantities and as an extension, economics. Which means that many vineyards capable of being purposed either way went in Brunello’s direction. Which also means that more vineyards need to be designated as Rosso and, were a DOCG awarded, the rules would need to be altered to make sure the wines are pre-declared as such. There is enough Brunello to go around and the world needs more Rosso di Montalcino.

Further to that, the Consorzio’s decision to hold an anteprima in November causes producers to make choices they would not have had to think about before. The 2019 Rosso would have been shown in February and so November is both too late for producers who have already sold out or at least allocated their wines, but also too early for the 2020s to be presented. I purposely tasted only seven examples and each one was intensely youthful, tighter and more inaccessible than the next. The 2019s, on the other hand, were glorious, open and generous, as they would have already been just a few months earlier. Late April or early May would be an ideal time to show off the latest Rosso di Montalcino vintage, early enough for the early releasers and late enough for those who need 18 months before putting their Rosso to bed. Keep the Brunello anteprima in November if that works for the majority because the extra nine months (from the usual February event) works wonders for all three levels; Annata and Vigna plus the previous year’s Riserva. I can think of at least one more noble sangiovese producing appellation that would benefit from doing the same.

Here are 222 reviews, mostly from the November anteprima and estate visits but also some drawn from attending the October 2021 Gambero Rosso Awards tasting in Rome. There are 35 Rosso notes, 23 of them for the 2019 vintage. One hundred and seventy one Brunello reviews, including seven from 2018; and for 2017, there are 103, 69 for Annata and 34 to Vigna. For 2016 there are 61 tasting notes, 45 on Riserva, the rest Annata and Vigna. Also 16 older vintages and IGTs.