2017 Barolo: Here We Go Again…

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | FEBRUARY 11, 2021

The 2017 Barolos arrived literally as we published the last of our 2016 Barolo reviews. Time to start all over with new wines and a new vintage. In the last two decades Piedmont has become one of the most dynamic regions in the world. Keeping up with the pace of releases these days is quite a challenge, but it’s an incredibly stimulating challenge, as there is so much to discover. Interest for Barolo and Piedmont has never been higher, pandemic or not. There is plenty to like about the 2017 Barolos, as readers will see.

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For Starters

No, 2017 is not a repeat of 2016. Let's be clear about that. At the same time, it seems these days the knee-jerk reaction to a hot, dry vintage is often “it’s another 2003.” Let me address that right off the bat too – 2017 is not 2003 either. Instead, 2017 is a vintage that requires a lot of tasting and re-tasting. The wines challenge preconceived ideas of what wines from hot years can be, for reasons that I will explain in the paragraphs that follow.

In tasting, the 2017s are mid-weight Barolos with the classic structure of Nebbiolo. They are often intensely aromatic. Acids and tannins are prominent in many wines. The fruit profiles are ripe, often distinctly red-toned, but not cooked or over-ripe. Perhaps most importantly, the 2017 Barolos are very true to site, which is always a concern with vintages marked by warm weather. The best 2017s are exceptionally polished, vivid and flat-out delicious. If tasted blind, my guess is that few people would identify the wines as coming from a hot and very dry year. The question is: Why?

First and foremost, growers have learned a tremendous amount about dealing with hot growing seasons since 2003. This can’t possibly be overestimated. Producers are simply better at working through these challenges than they were back then. In 2017, that meant deleafing as little as possible and leaving a bit more crop on the vine, which helps delay ripening and keep acids bright. Several growers also spoke of the positive effects of hail netting in also protecting fruit from intense sunlight. Hail netting is not widely used in Piedmont, but that will likely change going forward. 

Monthly heat summation, for vintages 2000 through 2020. Note above average temperatures in March 2017, and then again in May through August. Temperatures were below average in April (because of frost event) and September. Data from Alessandro Masnaghetti’s www.barolomga360.it, used with permission.