In a Tuscan State of Mind

By Antonio Galloni

This year I spent six weeks visiting wineries and vineyards in Tuscany, which is something I never tire of, as contact with the land and the people who look after it is so essential to understanding what ultimately ends up in the bottle. I tasted an enormous range of wines, mostly from the 2011 and 2010 vintages. The 2011s are generally supple, early drinking wines, while the 2010s are brighter and punchier, with notable structure and mouth-watering acidity. Either way, readers will find a bevy of compelling wines from which to choose.

The 2011 Vintage

This year marks the release of the entry-level 2011s, including Chianti Classicos, Rossos from Montepulciano and a host of other wines suited to near-term drinking. As readers know by now, 2011 was a drought year with warmer than average temperatures. A warm, dry winter led to a growing season that started as much as a month early. Temperatures remained warmer than normal throughout the year until the very end of the summer, when heat moderated a bit. In some places, growers reported losses of 30-35%, mostly through dehydration. Overall, the 2011s are forward, fruit-driven wines in the style of years like 2007, with perhaps a bit less exuberance.

In Chianti Classico, growers dealt with the challenges of 2011 differently. For Luca di Napoli at Castello di Rampolla the trick to the vintage was picking on the early side. Isole e Olena’s Paolo De Marchi blended a little more Syrah than normal into his Chianti Classico. At San Giusto a Rentennano Luca Martini di Cigala added a dollop of whole clusters to his Sangiovese in the Chianti Classico. In other words, there were many ways to deal with the weather. I tasted a few wines that were on the edge of over ripeness, though, so it is a bit of an inconsistent year.

Galestro, the main soil type typical of Chianti Classico

Further south in the coastal areas of Maremma, the vintage appears to be strong. The wines are intense, that is obvious, but that is also the personality of so many Maremma wines. Growers seemed to be more comfortable, and perhaps familiar, with the hot, arid conditions as opposed to those presented by the slow to mature, late-ripening 2010 vintage. I tasted a number of 2011s in Maremma that are exciting, but the style is decidedly full-throttle. 

Some Thoughts on 2010

In my view, 2010 will go down as one of the great all-time vintages in Tuscany. The wines show beautifully delineated aromatics, punchy fruit and vibrant, mouth-watering acidity, a combination I personally find very appealing, especially at the dinner table. Although 2010 is a vintage for classicists, the entry-level wines are drop-dead gorgeous, so there is no need to delay gratification. Stylistically, the 2010s remind me of the 2004s, but with more fruit and overall depth. The finest wines should age gracefully for years, and in some cases, decades. It was a long, cool growing season that allowed for gradual ripening, which is essential for making wines of balance and harmony. Interestingly, 2010 was also a wet year, with quite a bit of rain, but the data I saw from several weather stations showed rain followed by periods of sunshine and warmer temperatures spread out favorably. Timing, as they say, is everything. There are a few weak wines in 2010, but they are the exception, not the rule.  

A First Look at 2012