1999 Barolo: The Forgotten Vintage

Without exception every producer I spoke with commented on the highly favorable weather conditions during the growing season. The summer was hot, but never excessively so and temperatures remained very balanced into the fall. The cool nights offered the vines relief from the daytime heat and allowed the fruit to mature gradually, giving the wines their rich color, intense aromatics and ripe fruit. Most producers picked their Nebbiolos during the second half of October. Overall Barolo production was 7.9 million bottles, up significantly from 6.2 million in 1996. It is interesting to note that, for the most part, quality-minded producers reported that yields per plant were naturally lower than more abundant vintages such as 1998, 2001 and 2004, yet average yields per hectare throughout the region are on the rise, suggesting that some producers continue to emphasize quantity over quality. Stylistically the wines are bigger and more potent than the super-refined 2001s. Even today many wines remain incredibly youthful and closed, and my sense is that the wines will mature later than the 2001s. In time, though, I believe 1999 will be seen as part of a lineage of classic age-worthy vintages that includes 1978, 1982, 1989, 1996 and 2001.