"I have done 21 harvests, and 2019 is one of the most complete and balanced vintages" – Eugenio Palumbo, winemaker at Vietti in Castiglione Falletto, speaking about the 2019 Barolo vintage.
Continuing the excellence displayed over the past 20 years, the decade of the 2010s has been a remarkable one for producers of Barolo, with the 2010, 2013 and 2016 vintages yielding wines that stand with the finest in recent memory.
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Now comes 2019, a year that was praised as a triumph almost immediately after the grapes were harvested; while early predictions are sometimes not entirely accurate, it is evident that the 2019 Barolos are indeed something special, with producers describing the vintage in lofty, even superior terms. From the classic Barolos blended from several sites to the commune wines, and all the way up to the greatest cru, Barolo 2019 will clearly be labeled as a remarkable year.
As with most years, the weather was unpredictable in 2019.
"The 2019 vintage opened with a prolonged drought which was only interrupted at the beginning of April," notes Alessandro Ceretto, winemaker at his family estate in Alba. He recalls that abundant rains were present during May, followed by "very intense heat" between the end of June and the first week of July.
Veronica Santero at Palladino in Serralunga d'Alba notes that the when the summer heat arrived it often alternated with moderate rains. There were hailstorms during the growing season, she recalls, "but fortunately they did not touch our vineyards".
While Pietro Ratti at Annunziata, La Morra also notes that there were hailstorms in the Langhe in September, his vineyards were also spared. Unfortunately, Bruna Grimaldi in Grinzane Cavour was not as lucky as many of her colleagues, as a hailstorm on September 5 damaged one of her vineyards so thoroughly that there was no harvest at that site (the Raviole MGA). But she relates a positive outcome for the 2019 vintage. "All of our other vineyards were harvested in good condition, weather-wise and quality-wise."
Palumbo notes that the spring rains that slightly delayed ripening were beneficial to the final result. "The vegetative cycle was a little bit late, which permitted the vines to have the grapes ready to pick in the middle of October. Nebbiolo needs time to achieve the proper ripeness and complete phenolic maturation because tannins are the most important part of Nebbiolo when the grapes are ripe, when they are ready."
Recalling the cellar work for the 2019s, Palumbo comments: "If you think about our cru in 2019, we did the longest maceration after fermentation, so we could arrive to a total of post-maceration fermentation of 30-35 days, which is a lot for us; this is not possible to do in every vintage. Because when grapes are completely ripe, you can do this, because the tannins are soft and sweet, but when they're not so ripe, it's more difficult to do this kind of maceration."
On average, most producers reported about a 10 percent decrease in the size of the crop in 2019 as compared with the previous year. As for the wines themselves, the vintners are enthused across the board. "The 2019 Barolo looks to be full-bodied and vibrant, with good structure and lively tannins. Compared to the two previous elegant and approachable vintages [2017-2018], our 2019 promises to be suited to extraordinary aging," Ratti remarks.
For Paola Rinaldi, one of the proprietors of the Francesco Rinaldi winery, "the vintage can be said to be traditional and classic, with very good quality, good sugar levels and polyphenol profile". For Santero, "2019 can be defined as a classic vintage. If I had to compare it to another vintage, it would be difficult because it is unique in its style. I could say that on the nose it reminds me of the 2015 while in the mouth it definitely has the structure of the 2013."
Describing his 2019 Barolos, Ceretto says: "The wines are showing a good balance, good acidity and soft tannins and give excellent hopes for a long aging. Today they need a few more years to show their best. 2019 reminds me of vintages like 2016 and 2005."
Grimaldi notes that "at the beginning, the 2019s were closed; they were very introverted wines. Surprisingly, last Spring when we tasted the wines before moving them out of the barrels, we realized how beneficial the 30 months of aging were for this vintage; we found the wines to be more expressive and integrated."
She compares the 2019 Barolo vintage with 2013. "The wines show energy and tension with charming aromatics; it is a classic vintage."
Ratti labels the wines as "super elegant, fresh and accessible. 2019 reminds me of the great 2008 and for older vintages, 1998."
On a personal note, I have found three important dynamics with the 2019 Barolos. First, the commune wines (Barolo del Comune di La Morra, Comune di Serralunga d’Alba, et al) are as aromatically complex and as elegant as any from the past decade. The best of these wines, such as the Paolo Manzone and Palladino Comune di Serralunga offerings, the Marchesi di Barolo Comune di Barolo, and especially the Monchiero Comune di Castiglione Falletto (an outstanding wine) are quite accessible at present, while offering the structure for 10-15 years of aging.
Secondly, the classic examples of Barolo, blended from sites in various communes are also impressive, although the style of these wines vary according to producer; while most are supple at present, a few such as the Poderi Oddero, demand at least six to eight years before they are ready; this is one of the most powerful examples of classic Barolo from this esteemed producer.
Last, 2019 is a vintage where the finest sites truly delivered wines of breeding and sense of place; this is a vintage where site differences can truly be identified. A prominent example is the comparison between the Brunate and Cannubi Barolos from Francesco Rinaldi; the former is a wine of finesse and velvety tannins, while the latter is more muscular, with a distinct savory character.
15 highly recommended 2019 Barolo
Bruna Grimaldi Bricco Ambrogio
Marchesi di Barolo del Comune di Barolo
Monchiero del Comune di Castiglione Falletto
Poderi Oddero Rocche di Castiglione
Mauro Sebaste Edizione Limitata
Barbaresco
The new releases of Barbaresco from the 2020 vintage are also quite distinguished. Given the varying opinions of producers in the Langhe, these wines may even be more exceptional than the 2019 Barolos. Apples and oranges to be sure, but having tasted many of these wines, the comparison is a valid one.
At Albino Rocca, just outside the town of Barbaresco, Daniela Rocca recalls a beautiful growing season in 2020.
"The 2020 vintage started with a mild winter with few precipitations and snowfalls. Luckily the spring was quite rainy especially in May and June. This helped to slow down the plant growth and prevented water stress issues for the entire season. In general we can say that the climate conditions were ideal, with no hailstorms or any other significant weather events."
Enrico Dellapiana at Rizzi in Treiso recalls that "nature was so quiet with the lockdown", and that the weather was "incredible", with the right quantity of rain and a "good quantity of sun and warmth in the summer". He says that the wines have "fantastic balance, are very approachable and velvety", but at the same time, "they are rich, have good acidity and the proper power". He compares the 2020 Barbarescos with those from the 2016 vintage, but "with the elegance and red fruit of the 2008s".
For Rocca, "the wines are showing beautifully. They are very well balanced in terms of acidity and tannins and are quite powerful. I like the fruitiness that this vintage is showing. The wines are also promising a long aging potential." While she comments that it's always difficult to compare vintages, she remarks that "probably 2020 is close to the 2007 vintage".
Finally, Ceretto remarks that the 2020 Barbarescos are "elegant with medium body and very good drinkability. Among the more recent vintages, I see a similarity with 2009."
