Chianti Classico DOCG 2017 vintage: See Chianti Classico DOCG.

2017 35% yield drop due to spring frosts, then drought. Some unusually dense wines, still finding their feet (in 2019), need food. Now-2024.

2017: Growing season Stressful for both vines and winemakers. One of the driest years in recent decades. The first months of the year were variable with some rains only at the end of February and March. The dry winter and warm spring provoked early budburst. April frosts then caused 35% crop losses.  From May onwards there was very little rainfall. Chianti areas registered only few storms in late spring. Temperatures were also always above the seasonal average and, in some periods, especially in July and August, reached high heat spikes. Light rain in early September helped alleviate vine stress and allowed the completion of the grape ripening process. The long period of sunny and dry weather reduced berry size, leaving concentrated wines with just about enough fruit-tannins balance in the best wines. Yields down 27% compared to the average (Source: Consorzio). Some estates in Radda in Chianti reported up to 50% crop losses.

2017: Vineyard area: 6,972 hectares (Source: Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico).

2017: Production 208,926hl (Valoritalia, Federdoc). The consorzio says its official figure is 206,213hl. 36,547,333 million bottles (Valoritalia). The lowest level of production of the last 40 years. ‘27.5m bottles (Chianti Classico 64%, Riserva 32%, gran selezione 4%),’ (Susan Hulme MW, Decanter May 2018, p.91)–however the Consorzio pointed out 270 thousand hl is the average production for Chianti Classico between 2008-2018.

2017: Wine quality Wines with deep colour. Tannins are generally mature and smooth in the mouth. Paolo de Marchi told me (Anteprima 2019) his 2017 wines ‘crocante’ or crunchy. Others described 2017 as a ‘leopard’, meaning very different results according to site (altiude, aspect) and soil type (moisture retentivity).