2019 La Ricolma

Once again, Luca Martini di Cigala presented a strong set of wines. The 2019 vintage was not easy. A severe hailstorm on July 13 damaged the canopy in the Sangioveses and pushed back harvest by about ten days. Things were even more difficult for the Merlot. Because of its earlier cycle, Merlot was more exposed and hail damaged the berries, not just the canopies. As a result, yields for the Ricolma are down 50%. Some wines, notably the Baròncole, show a slightly rough quality to the tannins. The 2020s I tasted point to a strong year. "We had one very hot week in the middle of September that accelerated our harvest. It felt like the grapes might dehydrate on the vine, " Martini di Cigala told me. "That was followed by heavy rain and cold weather." The 2020s are marked by luscious fruit and terrific depth. Sadly, though, there will be no Ricolma because of a technical issue that arose in fermentation. I am sure it is incredibly hard to lose a wine like that after an entire year of work, but then again, these are wines made with an uncompromising commitment to values of sustainable farming and artisan winemaking, so these things can happen.