En Primeur Firenze 2019: A historic gathering of producers, negociants and spectacular wines

Vintners taste the 2018 Super Tuscan barrel samples at Florence’s Palazzo Capponi at our En Primeur Firenze 2019 event.

The 2018 vintage is going to deliver some superlative Super Tuscans, while 2015 is one of the best years ever for Brunello di Montalcino and 2016 another hit for Barolo. These were our overall impressions from the inaugural En Primeur Firenze event, held on September 12, 2019, in Palazzo Capponi, Florence.

Since 2016, JamesSuckling.com has published annual reviews of the top Italian wines from barrel. However, this year’s tasting was the first of its kind to bring together a select number of Italian producers and vintners and Bordeaux negociants to sample and discuss the country’s most exciting unreleased labels. No doubt the arrival of three fabulous vintages to coincide with the debut occasion made En Primeur Firenze 2019 all the more historic.

“The quality of all the wines present is superb,” said Mathieu Chadronnier, head of CVBG. CVBG is one of the largest wine merchants in Bordeaux and sells wines from all over the world as well as from top chateaux through the region’s global distribution network.

Bordeaux negociants such as Chadronnier are selling more and more non-Bordeaux wines through the La Place de Bordeaux marketplace — from Chateauneuf and Burgundy to wines from California, Chile, Argentina and now Italy. They release new vintages of most of the top wines from outside Bordeaux in early September. 

“This is a fantastic event,” said Pierre Antoine Casteja of Joanne, who attended the event and whose company is Bordeaux’s leading negociant. He noted how the wines of Italy (VIK from Chile was also on hand) are increasingly popular among international customers of the Bordeaux wine trade.

The 2018 vintage in Tuscany appears to have produced balanced and refined wines along the lines of 2005 or 2008. We tasted close to 100 Tuscan wines from the vintage and we were impressed by their freshness, fine tannins and clean and transparent fruit.

The 2018 vintage had a hot and sunny (but not extreme) growing season until September when intermittent rains arrived. Producers who picked at the right time were rewarded handsomely. Overly cautious producers who harvested early risked bringing in grapes that weren’t fully ripe, while others who waited too long had to contend with some dilution in the grape musts.

“We are really happy with the overall quality of our 2008s, which show a harmony and refinement compared to past vintages,” said Axel Heinz, the dynamic winemaker of Masseto and Ornellaia.

The 2015 Brunellos poured during the event were real standouts with superb structure and depth of fruit and tension. This is clearly one of the best years ever for the region and has all the makings of a modern classic. Check out our extensive report from two weeks ago.

“The 2015 is the best vintage of my career,” says Giancarlo Pacenti of Siro Pacenti. His Siro Pacenti Brunello di Montalcino Vecchie Vigne 2015 is one of the greatest wines of the vintage – 100 points. His, as with all 2015 Brunellos, will start to be released on the market next year.

The 2016 Barolos at the tasting were almost as impressive as the 2015 Brunellos and underlined the superb quality of 2016 following the great 2015 in Piedmont. The wines don’t have the opulence and density of the 2015 nebbiolos from the region, but they have excellent structure and length, highlighting how the 2016 growing season was slightly cooler than the 2015. The 2016 Barolos are clearly reds for aging. They will begin to be released in January 2020.

“Our 2016 Barolos are wines for the cellar,” said Barbara Sandrone of the high-flying winery of Sandrone. The structure and intensity of her reds from the 2016 vintage were impressive.

En Primeur Firenze 2019 concluded with a garden lunch in Palazzo Frescobaldi, just a one-minute walk from the magnificent Renaissance structure of Palazzo Capponi. The 200 attendees brightened the event with an electric energy, basking in the beauty of Florence and the outstanding quality of wines tasted. The event followed the JamesSuckling.com Magnum Party at Villa di Maiano the previous evening (check out the video).

We are looking forward to next year’s events in Florence with trade and maybe even fans and followers of JamesSuckling.com.

– James Suckling, CEO & editor, and Jack Suckling, contributing editor