2015 Barolo…The Bigger Picture

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | FEBRUARY 15, 2019

Barolo lovers have become spoiled over the last fifteen years or so. While 2015 is clearly a mixed vintage, in any other previous era there is little doubt it would have been considered outstanding. Readers will find a number of dazzling 2015s, even if quality is uneven across the board. More importantly, though, the number of young growers and re-born older estates making compelling wines is greater than at any time since I first visited Piedmont in 1997. Quite simply, Barolo, and Piedmont more broadly, is going through a remarkable boom. I came away from my tastings more energized than ever. As always, this winter article focuses on wines bottled the previous summer. A subsequent report will focus on Barolos bottled in summer 2019 and later releases.

Bartolo Mascarello drew these labels and others, known as Etichette Disegnate, during the years he was confined to a wheelchair. Some of the cantina's direct private clients and longstanding customers may receive a bottle with a reproduction (not an original) of a Mascarello-drawn label with their allocation. (Note that Etichette Disegnate bottles are shipped only to countries where regulations allow. For example, in many countries, the United States included, the approval process that would be necessary for these labels is simply impractical).

The 2015 Growing Season and Wines

Two thousand fifteen is not an easy vintage to break down into simple generalizations. In that sense, 2015 reminds me a bit of 2012, a year in which both the personality and quality of the wines are quite varied.

The winter of 2014/2015 will be remembered for heavy rain and snowfall, which would turn out to be quite beneficial. Warm temperatures in late winter caused the growing season to get off to a quick start. Budbreak and flowering occurred within normal time frames. Rain returned in late May and into June, before temperatures began to rise sharply. Higher than normal temperatures persisted up until mid-August when spells of rain arrived. Although mid-June to mid-August was very warm, there were no real spikes, while hydric reserves that accumulated during winter allowed the vines to mostly make it through the heat without too much stress. A further, smaller rain event in early October caused a brief break in the harvest, which for most estates was a bit earlier than the norm. Growers brought in a healthy, clean Nebbiolo crop, as can be further evidenced by the number of traditionally minded producers who did extended post fermentation macerations, something that is only possible with sound grapes and skins in high quality vintages.

Elio Altare flanked by winemaker Tes Cyo and daughter Silvia

Most producers remember the summer of 2015 as having been very hot, but data shows periods of cool weather were mixed in as well, especially at the end of the season, when evening temperatures moderated. Heat summation figures (the aggregate of temperature degrees above 10°C/50°F) as described in my colleague Alessandro Masnaghetti’s book Barolo MGA, Volume II. show that 2015 was warmer than the ten year average of 2007-2016, and yet a closer look at the data also makes clear that the months of September and October were cooler than the ten year average. This explains why the 2015s don’t have the intense warm-vintage profile of wines from years such as 2003, 2007 or 2011.

This graph from Alessandro Masnaghetti's book Barolo MGA, Vol. II breaks out heat summation data by month for 2015. Red boxes show that April through August, and 2015 as a whole, were warmer than the ten year average of 2007-2016, but that the months of September and October, were cooler than the average. The top row presents data in Celcius, while the bottom row is Farenheit. Used with permission.