2004 Barolo & Piedmont Vintage

The heavy rain of early 2004, on top of the autumn rains of 2003, restored soil water reserves that the very hot, dry summer of 2003 had run down. A snowy winter with low average temperatures was followed by a spring of plentiful, prolonged rain until the beginning of May, which delayed bud break. Winter temperatures stayed low for longer than normal, delaying budding and flowering. The spring rain raised fears of early downy mildew that came to nothing; the disease that kept growers in the Langhe and Roero busiest was powdery mildew, which hit the vineyards heavily from the first ten days of July, helped by little sunshine, average temperatures and fairly high humidity. The months that followed brought summer temperatures that were never too high, with almost no oppressive heat or rain, and bunches grew to medium-to-large size. On the morning of 8 August, hail struck a very limited strip of the Barolo growing area. By the end of August, ripening ran at least 10 days behind the expected date. The defining feature of the year was an anticyclone that lasted through September and into early October, with sunny days, no rain and temperatures above the seasonal average, so grapes could be picked perfectly sound and ripe. Nights stayed cool through September and October, with a strong swing between day and night temperatures for most of the season. Whites were picked from around 10 to 15 September and Dolcetto a few days later, finishing between the end of September and early October; after a short break came Barbera and Nebbiolo, over sunny days mixed with overcast ones and little rain. The harvest was long and calm, running from mid-September to late October. Most producers started 10 to 20 days later than in 2003, and production was up 20 to 35 percent on 2003.

• Snowy, cold winter and rain until early May delayed bud break
• Powdery mildew hit heavily from early July; hail on 8 August touched a very limited strip of the Barolo area
• Anticyclone through September into early October: sunny, rainless and warmer than average
• Harvest from mid-September to late October; 10 to 20 days later than 2003, with production up 20 to 35 percent

The Consorzio's own report found grape quality higher than expected and called 2004 a year for careful growers who balanced production against the vine's growth. Whites showed average alcohol, balanced acidity and intense aromas; early cellar data on Dolcetto pointed to wines of great potential, with good alcohol, the right acidity and deep colour; and the Barbera and Nebbiolo wines had very interesting, complex noses with the right acidity and alcohol. The Consorzio called the vintage "normal", with a summer that was not overly hot, appropriate rainfall and a long, tranquil harvest, "showing excellent promise in terms of quality." Decanter's 2004 Piedmont guide summed it up as "Well balanced wines with ripe fruit" and named Barolo and Barbaresco its best appellations.

• Grape quality higher than expected, in a year the Consorzio called "normal" with excellent promise
• Barbera and Nebbiolo: complex noses with the right acidity and alcohol
• Decanter's 2004 guide: Barolo and Barbaresco the best appellations

In a 2024 Decanter retrospective on the Barolo vintages of the 2000s, Michaela Morris rated 2004 4.5/5. She called it a welcome reprieve after two challenging vintages, crediting a long, moderate growing season and a late harvest under ideal conditions for ideal phenolic ripeness in Nebbiolo. Her one reservation was the abundant crop, which led to the occasional diluted wine. On release four years later, the wines had a crunchy, mouthwatering quality, balanced but not yet accessible, and she found that most have since lived up to that promise. Her verdict: "Most have aged gracefully and are in a lovely, leisurely drinking window. The best is yet to come for the cream of the crop."

• Michaela Morris (Decanter, 2024): 4.5/5, after a long, moderate season and a late harvest
• Her one reservation: an abundant crop that gave the occasional diluted wine

Morris writes that at a recent Barolo dinner, Giuseppe Mascarello's savoury, racy and almost fragile Monprivato was barely surpassed by Cavallotto's Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe Riserva, while Domenico Clerico's wood-driven Ciabot Mentin Ginestra spoke of a bygone era. The Cavallotto comes from Castiglione Falletto; Morris found graceful power and ample capacity for ageing at a 2020 tasting, and the wine continues to develop. The Conterno family lost Cicala, its Bussia wine from Monforte d'Alba, to hail in 2004.

• Giuseppe Mascarello Monprivato: barely surpassed at a recent dinner (Morris)
• Cavallotto Bricco Boschis Vigna San Giuseppe Riserva (Castiglione Falletto): still developing, Morris found
• Aldo Conterno lost its Cicala to hail in 2004