2014 Barolo: Surprise, Surprise…

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | FEBRUARY 21, 2018

Navigating through the 2014 Barolo vintage is going to require a bit of work, although the time spent will be hugely rewarding. Three hailstorms, heavy and insistent rain, and a cool, gray summer gave growers fits. Many 2014s are diluted and lacking depth, while a number of wines weren’t bottled at all. But the finest 2014s are some of the most thrilling young Barolos I have ever tasted.

Steep hillside vineyards in Serralunga d'Alba

A First Hand Account of 2014

I spent a good chunk of the summer in Piedmont in 2014. It was the year we developed our interactive Barolo and Barbaresco vineyard maps. As part of that research, I visited nearly every vineyard of note.

The overcast, gray summer brought back memories of 2002, a year that is best remembered for the quality and bounty of its truffle harvest. Whereas Barbaresco was spared most of the heavy rain and avoided hail, Barolo was not so fortunate. Rainfall was three times the level that fell on Barbaresco. Perhaps even more damaging was a succession of three hailstorms in July and August. Hail, which is not unusual in Piedmont, is incredibly localized. One vineyard can be devastated, while the adjacent parcel can be completely untouched. Most vineyards can deal with some hail damage. But three storms in rapid succession shredded the canopies and hit the fruit and stalks directly, which is very damaging. Disease pressure was high throughout the summer. Growers reported periods as long as 21 days with uninterrupted rain and work in the vineyards that required three times the normal number of spraying treatments. Heavy rains resulted in thin-skinned, bloated grapes. The final coup de grâce was the appearance of the Drosophila suzukii, a fruit fly that punctures red grapes right around harvest, causing immediate oxidation of the juice. 

As is often the case, Mother Nature has a way of balancing things out. Weather turned dry and warm in September. Vineyards that made it to September in reasonably good condition were positioned to take advantage of ideal Indian summer conditions with warm days, cool nights and the gradual maturation that takes place under the shorter days and gentler sun of late September and early October. For most estates, harvest times for 2014 were late, but not excessively late. In his forthcoming book Barolo MGA Vol. II, author Alessandro Masnaghetti presents stunning historical research on a number of subjects, including average harvest dates for vintages 2000-2017. Masnaghetti groups 2014 under Late Vintages, along with 2001, 2002 and 2010. For reference, Masnaghetti lists 2004, 2008, 2013 and 2016 as Very Late Harvests.