Brunello’s New Vintages (2014 & 2013 riservas) produce mixed results
No one ever thought 2014 was going to be an outstanding vintage for Brunello di Montalcino. It rained too much during the harvest. Nonetheless, some outstanding wines were made as key producers fine-tuned their vineyards, were ruthless in their selections of grapes during the harvest and also of the wines they finally bottled.
My recommendation is to catch the freshness on these wines. Don’t lay them down. Drink them over the next four to six years.
“We really had to make a severe selection in 2014 so we sold half the production in bulk,” said Carlo Ferrini, famed consulting enologist who also owns a small Montalcino winery with five hectares of vineyards.
Some of you may be surprised by the relatively light colors of some 2014 Brunellos. It has to be due to the moisture in the grapes from the wet weather, compromising the fruit quality. Many wines seemed to lose some integrity as a result. Of the 135 2014 Brunellos we tasted, none scored above 94 points.
2014 Brunellos struggle, but the 2013 riservas shine
We also tasted nearly 70 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2013s. These are in a different league with 13 of the wines scoring 95 points or more.
We enjoyed cool and rich reds with plenty of ripe fruit and solid tannins as well as acid backbones.
“My 2013 riserva is my best Brunello since the great 2010,” said Vincenzo Abbruzzese, owner of the great Valdicava. The 2013 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano Riserva is indeed formidable with a sturdy, powerfully charged core of fruit and tannins.
I suggest buying 2013 riservas if you are looking for a new vintage to lay down in your cellar. They will be classic wines much like the 2012 riservas and 2010s.
“It was another hot and dry year in 2013 but the wines seem a little more refined and structured than 2012,” said Lamberto Frescobaldi, head of the family clan of Tuscan winemakers.
We also organized a small retrospective tasting of 2004, a long-time favorite vintage of mine. I have always been impressed with the balance and purity of the 2004 Brunello. They had a purity and beauty of fruit from the beginning and continue to do so. I suggest drinking them now as some seem to be slightly fading.
Montalcino has mixed results with the release of 2014 Brunellos and 2013 Brunello Riservas but, as always, some outstanding wines are still available to buy and drink.
