2014 Chianti Classico: Better Late Than Never

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | OCTOBER 7,
2016 &nbsp;





































Mother Nature gave growers fits in 2014, but picture perfect
conditions during the last month of the growing season saved what had been a
very challenging vintage up until then. The 2014s are vibrant, pointed, mid-weight
wines with bracing acidity and energy. This report
covers mostly new releases from the 2014 and 2013 vintages, both cool,
late-ripening years in which quality is variable. The best wines are striking
and well worth seeking out, but readers will have to be selective.&nbsp;


















<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1475843605311-IsoleeOlena+copy.jpeg"> 


















Isole e Olena, Barberino Val d’ElsaThe 2014 Growing Season and Wines&nbsp;Two thousand fourteen will be remembered as a
cool, overcast and damp year. I remember the summer well, as I spent most of it
in Italy. In addition to the challenging growing conditions – some of the most
difficult many growers had ever seen – producers had to deal with the
Drosophila suzukii, a fruit fly that appeared just as grapes began to approach
full ripeness.Bloated grapes were pushed to limit. Skins
were fragile and disease pressure was high. Then something amazing happened.
The weather improved dramatically from approximately mid-September to
mid-October as classic fall conditions with dry weather, warm days and cool
nights set in. By that time, grapes in less favored positions were already
compromised and had to be picked. But in places where grapes were healthy and
skins were thick, the grapes were able to take full advantage of the
spectacular last month of the growing season. If this sounds familiar, it
should. Conditions were similar across much of Northern Europe, as Vinous
readers will have likely already seen in other recent reports.&nbsp;Of course, Chianti Classico is a large
area with myriad sub-zones. Consider that, as an example,
Querciabella harvested their vineyards in Greve in mid-September but only brought in
their Gaiole fruit a full month later. A month’s difference in picking times
between areas within the same region is significant, but in a year where the
last month makes or breaks the vintage, those few precious weeks can very well be the difference
between average and exceptional quality.Because of their high acidities, in&nbsp;many cases, the 2014s will remind
old-timers of the Chianti Classicos of a previous generation, but the wines may
come as a shock to consumers who are more familiar with recent warmer vintages. As readers will discover in the accompanying notes, I tasted a few wines that were quite dark and intense, something that could only have been achieved through concentration in the cellar as winemakers struggled to reach better skin to juice ratios than what Mother Nature provided.&nbsp;Most growers plan on bottling their top
labels. Production will be down sharply as severe selection was essential, both
in the field and later in the cellar. I expect to see at least a few
monumental, captivating wines when the top selections are released next year.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1475843621667-Fontodi+copy.jpeg"> 


















Tasting wines from barrel at Fontodi, Panzano The 2013 Growing Season: Ups and Downs&nbsp;Two thousand thirteen was totally different
from 2014. In 2013, most of the challenges of the season came towards the end. The year got off to a late start. Budbreak and flowering were delayed
by about ten days. A number of growers I spoke with reported uneven fruit-set
that lowered production. Depending on location, yields were average to below
average. That may have been a blessing in disguise when more challenging
weather appeared later on. Summer provided a good bit of heat, but without prolonged
periods of excessive or suffocating heat. The real issues in 2013 came with two
significant rain events during harvest, the first of them quite violent. But
rain during harvest is not a new phenomenon in Chianti Classico. Growers also
had to deal with rain during harvest in 2010. As always, it comes down to timing,
and in 2013, the rains were not severe enough to significantly lower the
quality of the vintage, although the wines are clearly marked by the conditions
of the year, as explained below. One of the key differences vis-à-vis 2014 is
that in 2013 the fruit was generally healthy and clean when the rain arrived.
As a result, the grapes were largely able to come through that difficult period
without any major consequences.






















The best 2013s have
striking depth and the energy, with the lower alcohol and vibrancy that is
typical of a cooler, later-ripening vintage. At times the 2013s come across as
slightly denser, richer versions of the 2010s, which may be attributable to
lower yields in some places. Where conditions were more challenging, the 2013s
are medium in body but where the weather was most challenging, the wines lack
depth and structure. In almost all cases, the 2013s show slightly nervous, edgy
tannins that need time to settle down. I don’t see quite the level of profound
elegance, power and consistency across the board as in 2010, although the
vintage did produce a number of truly magnificent wines. As is the case with
the 2014s, readers will be well served by being selective. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1475843640157-Casuccia+copy.jpeg"> 


















Castello di Ama’s La Casuccia vineyard, GaioleTips on Building a Cellar&nbsp;I often hear from consumers
who are frustrated by the state of the market. Wine lovers are increasingly
priced out of Burgundy and Piedmont, where the most desired bottles are both
expensive and hard to find. Availability is less of an issue in Bordeaux, but
the top châteaux have priced their wines so they are out of reach of all but
the wealthiest consumers. In Napa Valley, the latest new wines with no track
record frequently debut at astronomical prices.

This past summer I tasted
through a number of 2006s for an upcoming retrospective. Among other things, I
was impressed with how well the basic Chianti Classicos from top estates were
developing. I was once again reminded of how compelling these wines can be. At their best, the wines of Chianti Classico:

1) &nbsp; &nbsp;are wines of place

2)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
age very well

3)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
are relatively easy to source

4)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
are well-suited to the dinner
table

5)&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
offer tremendous value&nbsp;

Consumers who are just
starting out with the goal of building a cellar for drinking (as opposed to
collecting) for the next 20-30 years but without spending a fortune should be taking
a serious look at Chianti Classico. I suggest buying case quantities of the
finest straight Chianti Classicos from the best estates in top vintages. Most of those
wines will cost $25-35 a bottle (if not less) and will drink beautifully for 20
years, give or take. The next level up, the best Riservas and Gran Seleziones,
will set readers back little more, but are generally worth taking a look at.
The region’s elite reds, including but not limited to,&nbsp;wines such as Pergole
Torte, Il Poggio, Percarlo, Tignanello, Cepparello, Vigna del Sorbo,
Flaccianello, Sodi di San Niccolò&nbsp;and Rancia remain reasonably priced&nbsp;within the context of fine, cellar worthy wines
and will drink well for 25-30 years, perhaps more. At the very top level of prestige,
wines like Ama’s Apparita, Rampolla’s Alceo and Antinori’s Solaia are certainly not
inexpensive, but they have established track records. Virtually all of
Chianti Classico’s top estates have been profiled here in previous years. The Vinous site and database&nbsp;contain a wealth of information on those producers and their wines.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1475857632280-Rampolla_Cover+copy.JPG"> Cellars at Castello dei Rampolla, PanzanoClosing Thoughts&nbsp;Chianti Classico recently
celebrated its 300th anniversary, which is defined as the date
Cosimo III de' Medici&nbsp;first delimited the zones of Chianti Classico,
Pomino, Carmignano and Val d’Arno di Sopra. The occasion was marked with a number
of events, including an appearance by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, a native of
Florence.Despite a rich historical
legacy that can’t be denied, the reality is that, for all of its virtues,
Chianti Classico lags global peers in several key areas. Too many cellars still
rely on passive temperature control, if the word ‘control’ can even be used.
Let me be clear: given today’s climatic conditions the modern winemaking and
aging cellar MUST – let me repeat MUST – be temperature and humidity controlled.
There are a few passive cellars that can handle the rigors of today’s climate,
but they are the exception and they certainly cannot be said to be optimal.The understanding of the
importance of temperature control in both professional tasting settings and restaurants
is totally lacking. The number of wineries this year where I was served wines
in hot rooms with no air conditioning in the middle of the summer is more than
I care to remember. So, after going through everything it takes to make great
wine – investing in vineyards, planting vines and actually making the wines, a
cycle that takes years, if not decades – producers all too often show their
wines in the worst of settings. Why? The reasons are many, and include high
energy costs and more relaxed attitude towards life in general that, at its
worst, is expressed as apathy.It is not uncommon to go to a restaurant and
be served a bottle of San Pellegrino ice cold and a fine red wine at broiling room
temperature on the hottest day of the summer. If you think I am exaggerating, well,
sadly, I am not. I have stopped ordering anything more than basic Chianti
Classicos, as all too often ordering a good bottle is essentially the same as
throwing good money down the drain. Italians have long had a cultural aversion
to air conditioning. That old-fashioned attitude, which is totally outdated
today, also spills over into wine storage in restaurants.


































Tuscany, and specifically Chianti Classico,
is one of the most privileged spots anywhere in the world. How many other
regions can compete with what Chianti Classico has to offer in terms of
terroirs, wines and food? And that is before one takes into consideration the
breathtaking scenery and dazzling collection of art cities, museums and other
cultural riches that frankly very few places in the world can even come close
to. Chianti Classico has the potential to belong to the world’s elite, but much
work still remains, especially in eradicating provincial attitudes that are a
handicap in today’s world. All too often, my impression is that the locals don’t
truly understand or even appreciate what they have been given. That makes the
estates in this article that did well in 2014 and 2013, two challenging
vintages, all the more worth celebrating.You Might Also Enjoy <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/a-tuscan-icon-petrolo-galatrona-1998-2012-sep-2016">A Tuscan Icon – Petrolo Galatrona: 1998-2012</a>, Ian D'Agata, September 2016 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/salvioni-brunello-di-montalcino-1985-2011-may-2016">Salvioni: Brunello di Montalcino 1985-2011</a>, Antonio Galloni May 2016 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/vino-nobile-carmignano-and-tuscany-odds-ends-mar-2016">Vino Nobile, Carmignano and Tuscany Odds &amp; Ends</a>,&nbsp;Antonio Galloni, March 2016 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/2011-brunello-di-montalcino-terroir-matters-feb-2016">2011 Brunello di Montalcino: Terroir Matters</a>,&nbsp;Antonio Galloni, February 2016 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/2005-tuscany-ten-years-later-dec-2015">2005 Tuscany – Ten Years Later</a>,&nbsp;Antonio Galloni, December 2015 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/on-the-tuscan-coast-new-releases-oct-2015">On the Tuscan Coast: New Releases</a>,&nbsp;Antonio Galloni, December 2015 <a target="_blank" href="http://vinous.com/articles/chianti-classico-2013-2012-sep-2015">Chianti Classico 2013 &amp; 2012: The Luck of the Draw</a>,&nbsp;Antonio Galloni, September 2015

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