The 2014 Brunello di Montalcino and 2013 Riservas:
Opposites Attract

BY IAN D'AGATA&nbsp;| MARCH 26, 2019&nbsp;The 2014 Brunellos and the 2013 Riservas are polar opposites, the
products of one of the most challenging vintages in memory (2014) and a very
good, classic year (2013). And yet, both vintages have something to offer, if
in completely different ways; the much-better-than-expected 2014s boast early
appeal and can be enjoyed while the 2013 Riservas mature in the cellar.

The 2014 Growing Season

Vintage 2014 will be remembered as one of the
most challenging in Italy, and not just in in Montalcino. Rain and cool,
overcast weather were practically non-stop throughout the year. However, the wines
have generally turned out better than expected. A rainy, mild winter was followed by a similarly rainy and cool
spring, though one prolonged heat spell in early June actually set off an early
budbreak and generous fruit set. Unfortunately, numerous hail episodes and
copious rainfall throughout most of the summer delayed ripening and resulted in elevated&nbsp;disease pressure with widespread outbreaks of&nbsp;peronospora (downy mildew). August was less rainy than June and July, but it brought
lower-than-average monthly temperatures. The vintage was essentially saved by
good late September and early October weather that was generally mild and dry. Most producers harvested during a three-week stretch that saddled the end of
September and the beginning of October. However, making full-bodied, highly
structured wines was next to impossible.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1553616281604-1-A+beautiful+view+from+the+Baricci+estate_copy.jpeg"> A beautiful view from the Baricci estateThe 2014 Brunellos in Tasting 

Producers were able to make delicious,
easygoing reds of great accessibility, thanks mostly to a warm, dry spell in
the fall. In vintages like 2014 it is easy to see how much progress has been
made in Montalcino, from both viticultural and enological perspectives. The same
weather conditions twenty years ago would have meant writing off the whole
vintage, or just about. Instead, the 2014 Brunellos are mostly lithe, refined
wines, brimming with good amounts of crisp fruit and floral perfume, and
offering relatively tame, polished tannins and bright, lively acidity. Most
will drink best in their first ten years of life and provide easy-drinking
charm in that time frame. This positive result was achieved at the cost of much
hard work in the vineyards and in the cellar (including canopy management,
green harvest and draconian grape selection prior to harvest) and the will to
accept greatly reduced production volumes. Most estates made 40–50% less
Brunello than normal in 2014. Those estates that worked poorly made lean, very
acidic, tart wines with little depth, concentration or length; others that
fared better succeeded only in making Brunellos that are more like good Rosso
di Montalcino (Brunello’s little brother). In fact, many estates chose not to
make a 2014 Brunello at all, preferring to concentrate on making the best Rosso
di Montalcino they could. The list of estates that passed on making a 2014 Brunello
is long, and includes names such as Biondi-Santi, Castello Romitorio, Costanti,
Padelletti, Le Ragnaie, Salvioni and Voliero. M<a target="_blank"></a>any others chose to make a 2014 Brunello but not their top wines (such as Caparzo, which
did not produce its top Brunello, La Casa, or Canalicchio di Sopra, which won’t
be releasing any single-vineyard or cru
wines). Clearly, even the best 2014 Brunellos are not 95-point wines, and never
will be. Instead, the year’s better efforts are best enjoyed for what they are:
bright, pretty wines that will offer drinking pleasure over the short
term while bigger and bolder recent vintages (2001, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010,
2013) mature in the cellar.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1553616295709-2-Biondi-Santi%27s+beautifdul+villa_copy.jpg"> The&nbsp;beautiful&nbsp;villa at Biondi-Santi 

A Few Specific Thoughts and Conclusions

The 2014 vintage’s notoriety preceded the
arrival of the wines on the market, and based on the advance negative press,
wine lovers couldn’t be blamed for wanting to skip the 2014 Brunellos
altogether. In my view, however, that would be a mistake. The year’s best
wines, while not meant for long aging (this Brunello vintage is, along with
2002, the least cellarworthy of the last 20 years), are exceptional expressions
of Sangiovese and have a penetratingly pure quality that is endearing. Very
food-friendly wines blessed with refreshing acidity, the 2014s will also prove
great restaurant by-the-glass pours, provided prices are kept reasonable. For
the most part, it is the Brunellos made on the northern flanks of the
Montalcino hill that showed best in 2014, where I found many steely, floral and red-currant-rich
beauties that speak clearly of their specific terroirs. Most likely, 2014’s
cool and rainy spring and summer weather delayed ripening in the normally
colder mesoclimate of the northern flanks of the Montalcino hill to the point
that growers were forced to keep the grapes hanging on the vines late into the
year, allowing them to benefit from the idyllic September weather. By contrast, many
wines from the warmer southern areas smell and taste muddled, offering little
sense of place and display savory aromas and flavors that are out of context
for the vintage. It’s especially bad in the case of those wines that were
strongly “freshened up” with more recent vintages of Brunello – a legal practice
allowed by Brunello di Montalcino production guidelines, which state that up to
15% of wine from a younger vintage can be blended back into older wine. Adding
2015 Brunello to the 2014 in an effort to make a bigger, fleshier 2014 seemed
logical, since 2015 was a sun-drenched year that gave big, rich wines. But for
the most part, this didn’t work out especially well, and resulted in many
abnormally ripe, earthy, disjointed Brunellos that offer little in the way of
somewhereness or even drinking enjoyment.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1553616251337-3-The+Montosoli+cru%27s+unique+soil_copy.jpg"> The Montosoli cru's unique soil 

The 2013 Riservas, On The Other Hand…

By contrast, the best 2013 Riservas are
classic, sleek wines with staying power, density and noteworthy persistence,
not to mention elegance. In keeping with the 2013 classico Brunellos, these Riservas are not blockbuster, high-pH, soft Riservas but rather refined, vibrant wines that will age well. As a
comparison, I’d say they’re more in the style of 1988 than 1985, more 2008 than
2004.I tasted all the wines in this report in January, February and March
2019.You Might Also Enjoy <a target="_blank" href="https://vinous.com/articles/le-potazzine-brunello-di-montalcino-2001-2013-oct-2018">Le Potazzine Brunello di Montalcino 2001 – 2013</a>, Ian D'Agata, October 2018<a target="_blank" href="https://www.vinous.com/articles/brunello-di-montalcino-sleek-pure-2013s-surprising-2012-riservas-apr-2018">Brunello di Montalcino: Sleek, Pure 2013s &amp; Surprising 2012 Riservas</a>, Ian D'Agata, April 2018<a target="_blank" href="https://www.vinous.com/articles/brunello-di-montalcino-the-2012-brunellos-and-2011-riservas-mar-2017">Brunello di Montalcino: The 2012 Brunellos and 2011 Riservas</a>, Ian D'Agata, March 2017

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