2007 Barolo & Piedmont Vintage

The Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani called the 2007 climate "abnormal", with a particularly mild winter, not too hot a summer, little rainfall and a harvest smaller than usual but of excellent quality. The mild winter shortened dormancy and brought an exceptionally early bud burst, and flowering began around 5 to 10 May, about twenty days earlier than in 2006. A cool spell with frequent rain followed as the bunches and berries grew, slowing the cycle without erasing its head start. July had no rain and rising temperatures, though constant ventilation and low humidity kept the days of oppressive heat limited; a number of particularly hot July days sunburned some berries, while fungal attacks were limited and low in virulence. Hail hit some vineyards around Dogliani and Mondovi early in June, then a limited part of the Barolo zone between Castiglione Falletto, Barolo and Monforte d'Alba at the end of the month. Wine Spectator instead reported an early but severe hailstorm at the end of May that almost wiped out the Bussia vineyard and damaged other top Barolo vineyards such as Cannubi and Bricco del Fiasco. Slightly below-average temperatures in August delayed ripening, yet the harvest still began around ten days earlier than in 2006, with picking from 20 August for the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay used for sparkling wine. The later varieties started on 10 September with Barbera, and Nebbiolo followed ten or so days afterwards on both sides of the Tanaro. Wine Spectator put the Piedmont harvest start in mid-August, around two weeks early, with most of the Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo in the winery by the end of September despite some hard rain as picking began. Grape health in the Langhe and Roero was excellent, with an estimated 10 to 15 percent reduction in yield.

• Particularly mild winter and exceptionally early bud burst; flowering around 5 to 10 May, about twenty days ahead of 2006
• No rain in July and a number of very hot days that sunburned some berries; August ran slightly below average
• Hail: Dogliani and Mondovi early June and part of the Barolo zone at the end of June; Bussia, Cannubi and Bricco del Fiasco at the end of May in a separate account
• Barbera from 10 September, Nebbiolo ten or so days later; Langhe and Roero yields down an estimated 10 to 15 percent

Barbera, Freisa, Nebbiolo and Pelaverga all ripened relatively early, with high sugar in line with 2006 and the potential for wines of excellent body and structure, colour and aromas. At drawing off, the later varieties showed very good alcohol, with balanced acidity and very intense aromas, and the Consorzio's own report judged grape quality beyond all expectations. Wine Spectator's preliminary report graded Piedmont B+ and put the smaller crop down to the hail combined with the dry summer conditions, which caused a natural reduction of yields. Angelo Gaja said the Nebbiolo on his estate was down by 25 percent, adding, "we anticipate the quality will be very good."

• Nebbiolo ripened relatively early with high sugar, in line with 2006
• Very good alcohol in the later varieties, balanced acidity and very intense aromas at drawing off

In his May 2011 report on the 2007 Barolos, James Suckling called it a year marked by a hot growing season, with very ripe grapes harvested very early, giving the wines an exotic, ripe character without the slightly raisiny note of 2003. He found them approachable already yet built to age, suggested starting to drink them in about two or three years, and judged the vintage clearly better than the lean 2006, though he noted a number of slightly diluted wines, perhaps from overproduction. Sylvia Altare told him, "They were already approachable from the tank," and Roberto Voerzio said, "This is a great year, but it is not like the old great years when the wines were very tannic and acidic and they dried your mouth out." In Wine Spectator's December 2007 report, Luca Vietti said the 2007 Nebbiolo was "showing good fruit, structure and balance."

• Suckling: hot growing season, much like 1989, 1990, 1997 and 2000, with an exotic, ripe character but without the slightly raisiny note of 2003
• Suckling: approachable yet built to age; some wines slightly diluted
• Vietti: Nebbiolo showing good fruit, structure and balance