Chianti Classico: The Magnificent 2021s

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | JULY 11, 2024

Two thousand twenty-one is the single greatest young vintage I have ever tasted in Chianti Classico. Period. Full stop. The 2021s are majestic wines endowed with striking aromatics, layered fruit and all the energy that is such a signature of the appellation. Quality is consistently high across the region, while many wines hit breathtaking peaks of excellence. Last year, I wrote, “The 2021s, in particular, are some of the most exciting young wines I have tasted in more than 25 years of visiting the region.” The top bottlings, those being released this year, more than confirm that initial impression. This is a historic vintage Vinous readers will want to pay close attention to.

On the road to Castello di Ama. Bellavista is consistently the estate’s most potent, structured Chianti Classico.

The 2021 Growing Season & Wines

The early part of the season was not easy. “The year got off to a fast start. February was especially warm, although temperatures settled back into more normal patterns in March,” Marco Pallanti explained at Castello di Ama. Severe frost descended upon the region on April 6 and 7. Frost is typically most damaging in low-lying areas, where humidity is highest. In 2021, however, strong air currents carried frost into higher elevations, the same phenomenon seen in Bordeaux, Piedmont and other European appellations.

June, July and August were marked by elevated temperatures and very little rain. Conditions moderated considerably in late August, helped by small but well-timed showers. Most producers describe 2021 as a warm vintage, certainly warmer than 2020. But that does not tell the full picture. As is often the case, the quality of the vintage was made during the last month of ripening, a period characterized by the wide diurnal shifts essential for building color, ripening tannin and retaining acidity to balance ripeness in the fruit. The diurnal shift – the variation of temperature from daytime highs to evening lows – is the single most critical and defining element in understanding the 2021s. The last days of August and into September saw evening temperatures drop, ideal conditions when the are still long and luminous. Many wines are incredibly vibrant but also tightly wound. I expect the best 2021s to continue to improve over the coming years and, in some cases, decades.