Exploring New Releases from Coastal Tuscany

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | AUGUST 01, 2023

Readers will find much to admire in new releases from the Tuscan Coast. Vintage 2020 is a bit uneven, but the best wines offer notable freshness and aromatic intensity, with less heft than is typical, not a bad thing for a region where wines can be a bit heavy. Based on what I have tasted so far, 2021 appears to be a much more even vintage endowed with all the classic signatures of textural richness that make the wines of Coastal Tuscany so distinctive. Although this report focuses on the coast, I include notes on a handful of other wines from other inland appellations that are too small to be covered on their own.

Vintage 2020 – Uneven Yet Intriguing

Navigating the 2020s on the coast will take some work, as the vintage is uneven. Although there was a quite a bit of rain, the year was very hot and dry at many critical moments, most notably in July, which was marked by severe heat spikes. Conditions moderated in August in the weeks leading up to harvest, only to be interrupted by the return of intense heat and also several days to a week of rain during picking. Wines made from fruit picked before and after the rains, either because of stylistic choices or varietal mix, can almost give the impression of of two different years.

"It was the last in a trio of vintages with more rain than usual and no drought, but quite a bit of heat during summer," Estate Manager Axel Heinz explained at Ornellaia. "Temperatures moderated in August, with the arrival of cool evenings. We picked quite a bit of Merlot early for the aromatics. Temperatures then rose markedly, leading to a week of rain, and then finally to good weather through to the end of harvest." Late season rains were challenging at some properties, such as Antinori’s Guado al Tasso, where the Cabernet Sauvignon was compromised.

“In most years, what we fear is late season heat, and even more importantly, intense dry winds that can literally dehydrate fruit on the vine,” highly regarded winemaker Luca D’Attoma explained. “In 2020, we did not have those conditions.” Nevertheless, selection in the vineyard was critical. At Tenuta San Guido, production is down 30% for the flagship Sassicaia in a vintage in which harvest took place during a very condensed period.