2006 Tuscany Vintage

In Montalcino, April to June brought persistent rain, building up water in the soils, a reserve that proved very useful in summer. July was very hot and sunny, with optimal cluster development and the vine's growth stages on schedule. August was less hot than normal, with sometimes overcast skies and some rain. The first half of September was very hot and sunny, carrying the grapes to complete, balanced ripeness. The second half of September opened with some rain that turned the weather toward autumn; conditions quickly recovered and picking began. Tuscany was very hot in June and July, mild and damp in August, then hot again through September and October, with intermittent periods of rain. Consulting enologist Carlo Ferrini noted there was no severe spring frost in 2006. In Chianti Classico, favored by the weather, the harvest began ahead of the usual time. On quantity, Ferrini told Wine Spectator: "Plus we have quantity--and that's important."

• Montalcino: persistent rain April to June, a very hot, sunny July, a less hot August with some rain
• Montalcino: very hot, sunny first half of September; rain opened the second half before picking began
• Tuscany: very hot June and July, mild and damp August, hot again through September and October
• Chianti Classico: harvest began ahead of the usual time

The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino calls Brunello 2006 an exceptional vintage, rated five stars, and one of the greatest vintages ever. Monica Larner of Wine Enthusiast and James Suckling tasted almost 170 Brunellos from 2006, with 27 scoring between 95 and 100 points and 113 between 90 and 94. Suckling gave 100 points to two wines: Luce della Vite from the Frescobaldi family's Tenute di Castelgiocondo, and the Tenuta Nuova selection from Casanova di Neri. Larner's top 2006 score, 97 points, also went to Casanova di Neri. The Consorzio's producers described 2006 as a better version of 2004 and singled out the quality of its tannin and the freshness of its acidity (translated). Brunello producer Giancarlo Pacenti of Siro Pacenti said clement late-season weather let him wait for each parcel of Sangiovese to mature before picking. "The skins were very thick, which made extraction a bit difficult," he said.

• Brunello 2006 rated five stars by the Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino
• Almost 170 Brunellos tasted by Larner and Suckling: 27 at 95 to 100 points, 113 at 90 to 94
• Siro Pacenti: clement late-season weather allowed parcel-by-parcel Sangiovese picking

More than 600 Chianti Classico estates had just finished picking by October 2006, with grapes richly endowed with sugars, a great deal of concentration and good polyphenolic ripeness, and the Consorzio expected an excellent level of quality. Rainy spells in the second half of September influenced the timing of the Sangiovese and Cabernet harvests. Barbara Widmer, owner and winemaker at Brancaia in Chianti Classico, picked Sangiovese early to avoid the possibility of mold. "The grapes were healthy when picked," she told Wine Spectator. "I'm not so sure that we will have the complexity of the 2004 vintage, but the wines are well-balanced, with good, mature fruit."

• More than 600 estates had just completed the harvest by October 2006
• Grapes rich in sugars with good polyphenolic ripeness
• Brancaia picked Sangiovese early to avoid the possibility of mold

"This is one of the finest vintages I can remember," consulting enologist Carlo Ferrini told Wine Spectator. "The quality level is high all over, and has taken us a bit by surprise." Ferrini added: "We have the concentration of fruit and overall quality as in 1997 and 2001." Luca Sanjust of Petrolo told Wine Spectator that the fair end-of-season weather brought Merlot to full maturity about a week earlier than usual. From the Tuscan coast, Leonardo Raspini, director of Tenuta d'Ornellaia, told Wine Spectator that the wines are "more concentrated and structured than in 2005, with balanced and intense aromas."

• Carlo Ferrini: concentration and quality as in 1997 and 2001, plus quantity
• Petrolo: Merlot reached full maturity about a week earlier than usual
• Ornellaia: wines more concentrated and structured than 2005