Montalcino, 2017 vintage

Comments apply to all wines coming from the town of Montalcino, not just Brunello. However the star ratings are those given by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino specifically for Brunello di Montalcino DOCG.

2017 Growing season: Cooler sites fared best due to a very hot, and dry from June to late August. Very low yields, 35-40% lower than normal, with the driest areas hardest hit. Vines on clay soil did well, and the fact that nights were cooler than in the 2003 heatwave vintage meant the wines are potentially ‘better than expected’ according to consultant Mauro Monicchi. He warns however that levels of malic acid were low, plus because the tannins are at once both easy to extract but also potentially tough any over-extraction will have negative consequences [ageing in large oak vats better that in smaller barrels]. Also, a lack of juice coupled with high sugars meant yeast would stress and would need nutrients.

The Allegrini family who own the San Polo winery said 2017 was marked by ‘extreme’ weather. Winter was mild and very dry, as was spring. Bud burst was about two weeks earlier than normal. Summer produced high temperatures but little rainfall. Rain did arrive at the end of August and early September (In Vino Habitat’, San Polo Harvest Diary 2017 p.5).

San Polo’s 2017 vintage report: Difficult vintages are said to reveal the true potential of the best terroirs, and never has this been more true than in the 2017 vintage in Montalcino. The winter was mild and very dry, as was the spring. This led to budding about two weeks earlier than normal. The frost that hit the area in the middle of April caused enormous damage across much of Europe, but thanks to the location of San Polo’s vineyards, with their southern exposure, 450-metre altitude and abundant air circulation, our vines suffered no damage. The summer that followed was marked by elevated temperatures and almost no rainfall, which created difficult conditions for the vines. Again, at this stage, we were able to appreciate the advantages of a particularly well-suited vine growing area, which treated us to daytime breezes and excellent day-night temperature variations, creating conditions that relieved the vines, which showed no symptoms of drought or heat-related stress. The rain that fell between the end of August and the beginning of September, not only restored the land’s water reserves, but it also gave the final ‘go ahead’ for the most important stage in the ripening of Sangiovese, the last month before harvesting.Source: San Polo

Notes from Biondi-Santi given to me during a visit to Il Greppo on 25 Feb 2021 described 2017 thus: ‘Characterized by the absence of rain. During the spring we had a late frost followed by a few downpours. The weather remained mild until the end of May which saw a significant rise in temperatures, above the seasonal average. The summer was very hot and dry. Harvest began on September 11.’

2017 Wine style: Better than the 2003 heatwave vintage, because the tannins appear more complex. This may simply be the nature of the respective vintages, or that in 2003 Montalcino had a higher proportion of greenhorn growers still on a learning curve and working with younger vines. One winery admitted its lowest alcohol wines from 2017 were at 14.9 potential. The high levels of alcohol caused yeast stress due to lack of fermentable nitrogen. Bernardino Sani of Tenuta di Argiano (Visit 2020) told me he felt the heat in this vintage ‘risked obliterating the subtle differentiations between individual terroirs,’ adding that a lighter touch approach to oak ageing would be sensible.’

Katia Nussbaum of San Polino told me ‘2017 was very hot but brought rain in September giving generous yields and quality,’ (Visit November 2021 with Einar). Francesco Ripaccioli of Canalicchio di Sopra described 2017 as ‘juicy’.