2011 Barolo & Piedmont Vintage

The 2011 season fell outside the usual pattern: very early, with vineyard yields that were not excessive. Winter was regular for both temperature and rain, and rain picked up in March (a monthly average of 176 mm, against about 90 mm in 2010), leaving the soil well supplied with water. April was hot, with highs above 20 C and a monthly mean of 16 C against 13 C the year before, and across the Langa and Roero the early stages of growth ran at least two weeks ahead. Between late June and early July daily means were not especially high (22 C on average). August brought very high daily mean temperatures, above 30 C at times, and it was extremely hot, almost scorching, with sugars building fast and producers forced to pick sooner than they might have liked. Water reserves from late-spring and early-summer rain kept the vines going, but the heat cost the grapes weight, most visibly in early varieties and on south to south-west facing slopes. Dolcetto suffered most, with shriveled berries and a marked drop in quantity on the best-exposed plots, while cooler, higher sites were affected far less. For Barbera and above all Nebbiolo, rain on the first weekend of September (about 20 mm) and cooler nights in the second half of the month helped the grapes reach a good phenolic balance, and timely September rains let late-ripening Nebbiolo recover somewhat, especially grapes shielded by northern exposures or thick canopies. The vines stayed healthy with a few well-judged treatments, though flavescenza dorata showed up more than in past years. Ripening was fairly uneven, and in some areas the picking of different varieties overlapped. Ernesto Abbona of Marchesi di Barolo could not remember the last time he had finished picking his Nebbiolo before the end of September. Nebbiolo reached the wineries with low vineyard yields, plenty of tannin and good color.

• March rain averaged 176 mm (about 90 mm in 2010); a hot April put the Langa and Roero at least two weeks ahead
• August daily means topped 30 C at times, and the month was extremely hot, almost scorching
• About 20 mm of rain on the first weekend of September, then cooler nights, helped Nebbiolo and Barbera
• Yields were not excessive; Dolcetto lost the most, and Nebbiolo came in at low vineyard yields

Decanter's Ian D'Agata found that no single commune stood out in 2011, with noteworthy differences in quality even within one producer's Barolo range, and advised buying wines labelled simply Barolo, which are often more affordable than the cru wines. Barolos from younger vines and sandier soils clearly had the toughest time. Nicola Oberto of Trediberri in La Morra said the sites with the best exposures almost always gave poorer results, since 'many grapes on the south-facing vineyards became raisins' and could not be used. Trediberri's Barolo came from the little-known Berri vineyard, picked a full month later than the more famous Rocche dell'Annunziata cru, which D'Agata said gave a better balanced, more complex wine. Tasting more than 250 Barolo 2011s at Nebbiolo Prima, WineSurf's Carlo Macchi scored the commune of Barolo 7.5, Verduno 6.5 and Monforte d'Alba 5.

• No single commune stood out; buy wines labelled Barolo over single crus
• Younger vines and sandier soils had the toughest time
• Many south-facing grapes raisined, so careful grape selection was key
• WineSurf commune scores: Barolo 7.5, Verduno 6.5, Monforte d'Alba 5

Decanter's Ian D'Agata wrote that towards the end of the harvest most producers were worried about eventual quality, yet in general the 2011s turned out much better than expected, and many producers were almost jubilant. Abbona had rarely seen better looking, healthier grapes in decades of tending vines, and Claudio Fenocchio of Giacomo Fenocchio told Decanter, 'I think 2011 wines will prove excellent', at least for those who did not get carried away deleafing. Aldo Vajra called 2011 'the most interesting of any forward vintage in recent times', adding that it was 'incredibly accessible right now, but has true potential for a wonderful evolution'. The Nebbiolo showed a really interesting aromatic profile, and the Consorzio's own report said that where growers struck the balance between vine, soil and climate, great wines could be expected. Macchi's overall verdict in May 2015 was good but certainly not exceptional; in Serralunga d'Alba the tannins were generally sweet and the alcohol mostly balanced, with a readiness that might not translate into great aging potential.

• Most producers were worried at the end of harvest, but the 2011s turned out much better than expected
• Aldo Vajra: 'incredibly accessible right now, but has true potential for a wonderful evolution'
• WineSurf, May 2015: good but certainly not exceptional
• Nebbiolo arrived with plenty of tannin, good color and an interesting aromatic profile