Brunello di Montalcino 2018

Late-season conditions led to considerable variations in style and quality in 2018, with harvest dates and winemaking style proving critical. Yet the best bottlings are fragrant, fresher wines that will be ideal for near- to mid-term enjoyment

- MICHAELA MORRIS

What a difference a year makes! My sense of déjà vu quickly disappeared as I tasted through the 2018s. These wines are nothing like the brawny 2017s; Brunellino (‘little Brunello’) was the expression being bandied around by the Italians.

Conditions in 2018 are described as fresh. Following the prolonged drought of 2017, winter rains and snowfall replenished depleted reserves. Spring was cool and wet, encouraging vigorous vegetation. Hailstorms hit the southwest mid-July, with Col d’Orcia and Argiano losing 20% and 25% of production respectively. Recurring showers marked the summer. August was significantly cooler, especially towards the end of the month. September saw notable diurnal temperature differences, favourable for ripening Sangiovese. However, there were two periods of rain that prompted picking. Producers with holdings in both the north and south generally noted more intense rainfall in the former. Certain pockets were more prone to humidity and rot. In the warmest corners, picking started around 14 September with harvest continuing through to mid-October. The challenge was balancing phenolic and sugar ripeness against the risk of rot.

GENTLE TREATMENT

Even with strict selections to bring in healthy grapes, the vintage yielded thin-skinned berries requiring gentle handling. Strategies included lower fermentation temperatures, fewer and shorter pump-overs, as well as brief maceration periods. Le Ragnaie’s Riccardo Campinotti bottled 2018 at the same time as his 2017s to maintain freshness. For similar reasons, Cecilia Leoneschi at Castiglion del Bosco opted for less racking [transferring wine between vessels to clarify or oxygenate it] during cask ageing. ‘In a year like 2018, this was fundamental,’ she declared.