The 2021 vintage in Piedmonte
The vintage of 2021 is without question the most outstanding growing season seen in decades, maybe longer. It is difficult to project whether it is a year that will eclipse the legendary wines of 1961 or 1978 as only tasting the wines in 30 years will truly reveal this. What is clear however is unequivocal however is the quality control in the winery and the vineyard is much better than it was in the 20th century, which has led some of the experienced hands in the region and wine industry as a whole to express guarded excitement that it might be the best vintage in recorded history.
Why?
The magic of the 2021 vintage can be broken down into 4 key moments/events.
1. Winter Snow
While this might not sound important or impressive, heavy snowfalls in Winter in the region are rare but have a curious by-product that sets up the season for optimal growing. Water stress is a potentially real problem in Langhe and when the vines are too heavily drought stricken Nebbiolo has trouble ripening evenly. The slow thaw that occurred after these heavy snow falls allowed for the sub-soil in the majority of Cru to build a potent water source for the growing season which was invaluable. The secondary benefit was that this snowfall essentially purified & cleansed the vineyards of potential pests, freezing and washing away eggs from noctuidae (moth larvae) that normally hatch in Spring and plague the vineyards.
2. Long and even growing season
After winter the region entered an extraordinarily long & dry growing season. From February until the end of the year only 400mm of rain fell in total, 100 of which came in November (as reported by Maria Theresa Marcarello). This resulted in a very dry & healthy growing with little no disease pressure. Nebbiolo greatly benefits from this, it is well documented that extended growing periods lead to greater complexity in the grapes for Nebbiolo.
3. Higher natural acid formation
The dry climate that was supported by the water winter reserves allowed for the formation of 2 characters in the grapes - dense tannin development and lower pH levels (meaning higher natural acidity). Alongside flavour complexity two of the most obvious attributes of great Barolo are the profound tannin structure & the brightly persistent acid profile.
4. Spring Frost
Generally speaking in regions like Burgundy spring frost is seen as one of the great banes of wine production, however on this occasion it represented a boon for Langhe. The standard practice in a lot of the great Cru of Barolo throughout the modern age is to thin the crop prior to the final fruit set - especially in warmer vintages where natural vigor in the vines is fostered by the season. This timely spring frost thinned the crop by an estimated 10% - the perfect amount to allow vines to focus energy into high quality fruit production on a better scale.
The Result
The resulting fruit harvested from Nebbiolo vines is defined by all of the desirable characteristics of great Barolo/Barbaresco. Thick skins to facilitate long maceration which is key for great Barolo, paired alongside profound tannin structure, high acidity for freshness and greater than average complexity.
All of the wines I have tasted from 2021 thus far have been true standouts for not only their innate structure, but also somewhat astoundingly, their approachability and wonderful drinkability. This duality is generally an indicator of greatness and reviews that are starting to come out about all 2021's back up this claim.
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