Piedmont in 2019 - The First of a New Era?
After the highly problematic and uneven 2018, the 2019 vintage burst out of the gates like a prized racehorse. In fact, many of the most respected commentators, critics and vignerons believe that 2019 has ushered in a new era for Piedmont. Until recently vintages were categorised in one of two ways; warm growing seasons produced a style for new world drinkers and cooler years produced wines to appeal to lovers of classical years. What 2019 innately conveys however is that hot years (2019 one of the warmest on record) can produce wines of balance and restrained poise while still delivering knock-out intensity & structure.
The Growing Season
The winter was warm and dry, a strong start, but May presented persistent rainfall which no doubt gave growers PTSD as the season was following the same pattern as 2018. Luckily, the rains relented moving into June and July which saw a rapid temperature rise. This heat was tempered by well-timed rains which balanced the vine growth throughout veraison and budbreak. Sadly, a swathe of hail hit a few of the communes within Barolo, but the greater majority of sites were unaffected. Despite the consistent heat, the nights were cool which fortified acid development and aroma precursor compounds. Picking was very late, as late as the highly regarded vintages of 2004, 2013 and 2016.
The transition from vineyard to bottle
As aforementioned, 2019 represents a paradigm shift which doesn’t follow the previous standards set for Piedmont and Nebbiolo production. The vintage conditions don’t directly correlate to the resultant wines. The median alcohol level has returned to a range of 13.8% - 14.1% (0.5%+ reduction compared to 2018) which is atypical for such a warm year. The tannin structure also aligns far more closely with cooler, more insular vintages than that of blockbuster vintages like 2010. Tightly coiled precision, racy acidity and shy fruit expression on the palate was an unexpected result which has prompted respected individuals in the region, like Chiara Boschis and Carlotto Rinaldi, to reference that despite the ‘cool’ feeling to the wines it was a historically hot year, signalling a change in expectation.
New expectations
The greatest wines in 2019 are ethereal, showcasing intensity and character even if it requires a significant decant or a lot of swirling in the glass. The team at the World of Wine has been tasting through some of our favourites and it is clear there are some standouts - with the best sites and winemakers making extraordinary wines. Generally speaking, the standard is above average across the board, but the single cru wines represent beacons of uncompromised quality in both Barbaresco and Barolo. It is our opinion that with the consistency of warm vintages over the last 20+ years, these innovative custodians of one of Italy’s most revered appellations are now able to harness the seasons to craft wines which is great news for any lover of Nebbiolo.