2012 Tuscany Vintage

2012 in Chianti Classico had a normal start: cold and snow in January and February, then a mild and rainy spring, especially in April. After the rains of early May, water disappeared not only in Chianti Classico but throughout the whole country, and temperatures rose. July and August brought boiling temperatures, and with poor water reserves in the soil the ripening process slowed in part but never stopped. It was a season of low water and one of the hottest summers of recent years in Chianti, with great worry at the end of summer after months of drought. Rain came back at the end of August, and early September rain, cooler average temperatures and wider night temperature swings let the grapes recover, especially late varieties like Sangiovese. High temperatures and low humidity kept mildew and powdery mildew away, and the grapes reached the cellar in perfect health. Chianti Classico was picked when normally due, between the end of September and the beginning of October, though a September forecast had put the Sangiovese harvest a week ahead of traditional timing. Production was around 235,000 hl, down about 16% on the previous year.

• Winter and spring: cold and snow in January and February, a mild, rainy spring, especially April
• Summer: no water after the early May rains; boiling temperatures in July and August in Chianti; ripening slowed but never stopped
• Late August and early September: rain returned, average temperatures fell and the grapes recovered, especially Sangiovese
• Harvest and yield: Chianti Classico picked from the end of September into early October; around 235,000 hl, down about 16%

WineNews gathered the views of the Consorzi in September 2012, as picking got under way. In Montalcino the Brunello di Montalcino harvest had begun two days earlier, and Brunello Consorzio president Fabrizio Bindocci said (translated) that the data collected presented an overall very good picture, in line with recent years, with grapes that could give high-quality wines. Production could be lower than the year before, a reduction of 10% at that point, with quantity and quality to be judged at the end of the harvest. In Bolgheri most early varieties were already picked and late ones would start the following week, about seven days ahead of 2011. The Bolgheri Consorzio described healthy grapes in a patchy year, with vines on sandy soils suffering much more, a harvest that would certainly be good, and an expected loss of 15 to 20%. In Chianti Classico, picking of early varieties such as Merlot was nearly finished and a drop of about 15% was expected.

• Montalcino: harvest under way; a 10% smaller crop forecast
• Bolgheri: early varieties mostly picked, about seven days ahead of 2011; healthy grapes; expected loss of 15 to 20%
• Bolgheri: vines on sandy soils suffered much more, in a year the Consorzio called patchy (translated)
• Chianti Classico: Merlot and other early varieties nearly picked in September; a drop of about 15% forecast

Sangiovese, with its greater ability to adapt to hard temperature conditions, came through the imbalances of the season. Alcohol is at a medium level, around 14 maximum. The Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico calls the 2012 wines very balanced, with an exceptional balance between alcohol, acidity and polyphenols, giving smooth wines with a good and not extreme alcohol content, and adds that the quality of the vintage kept rising month after month.

• Chianti Classico alcohol: medium, around 14 maximum
• Very balanced wines: alcohol, acidity and polyphenols in exceptional balance, smooth and not extreme in alcohol
• Sangiovese came through the hard temperature conditions of the season