Brunello di Montalcino 2017
When I visited Montalcino in late August of 2017, the heat was stifling and the landscape parched. Banfi’s sizable artificial lake used for emergency irrigation was almost depleted. Harvest was already underway for Merlot and there were whispers that some estates had started picking Sangiovese as well.
‘From June until the end of August, there were almost 20 days above 35°C,’ says Francesco Ripaccioli at Canalicchio di Sopra. More than the torrid heat, however, it is drought that characterises the 2017 vintage. Producers let out a collective sigh of relief when it finally rained at the beginning of September.
Significantly, precipitation was accompanied by a drop in temperatures, particularly at night, which served to slow down ripening. ‘This allowed us to arrive at harvest with good ripeness of grapes, polyphenols and seeds,’ shares Sara Rossi at Padelletti.
Managing the 2017 vintage’s tricky tannins is a notably common theme. Vinification saw many
winemakers playing with shorter maceration times, cooler fermentation temperatures and gentler extractions. ‘We were able to keep the maceration up to one month, so rather than shorten the extraction, we preferred to make it softer,’ says Riccardo Fratton at San Polo. Conversely, Andrea Costanti at Conti Costanti describes doing ‘more extraction than usual and a long cold-maceration post fermentation’.
The balancing act continued throughout maturation, with some estates curbing oxidative ageing by giving wines less time in wood and selecting larger barrels. Bernardino Sani at Tenuta di Argiano reduced ageing time in cask to the denomination’s minimum. ‘It was essential in this year, to avoid adding tannin to an already less-balanced wine and to preserve freshness on the nose,’ he states.
Overall, heroic efforts in the vineyard and cellar are evident, as there are numerous wines that demonstrate greater freshness than anticipated. Although several are clumsily pushing 15% alcohol or more, levels are no more
