2017 Tuscany Vintage

2017 was one of the driest years of recent decades in Chianti Classico. The first months of the year were variable, with some rain only at the end of February and in March, and then some late frosts occurred. From May onward rainfall was very low, with only a few storms in the Chianti area in late spring, and temperatures stayed above the seasonal average throughout, reaching high heat spikes especially in July and August. In Bolgheri the winter was more than three degrees warmer than the seasonal average, bud break came almost two weeks early, and frost on 9 April in various parts of the region barely grazed the coastal vineyards. Flowering there went well, but hot, dry weather returned in May and virtually no rain fell in July and August. The rain in the first days of September was not generous, but it stopped the heat and helped complete ripening in Chianti Classico; on the Bolgheri coast the first rain came on 15 to 16 September. At Castellina the harvest was very early. Chianti Classico production fell 27 percent to 206,000 hl, the lowest level in 40 years. Nationally, spring frost, isolated hailstorms and a heatwave nicknamed 'Lucifer' cut the 2017 harvest in several regions of Italy and France.

• Chianti Classico: variable early months, some late frosts, then very low rainfall from May onward
• Heat: above-average temperatures all season, with high spikes especially in July and August
• Bolgheri: frost on 9 April barely grazed the coast; virtually no rain in July and August, first rain on 15 to 16 September
• Chianti Classico yield: 206,000 hl, down 27 percent and the lowest in 40 years

Despite the sharp drop in quantity, the Consorzio found the 2017 wines pleasantly surprising from their first tastings. They show lively, deep color, an intense and varied nose with important fruity notes, and tannins generally mature and smooth, and the Consorzio calls 2017 a very enjoyable vintage whose wines are also worth waiting for. The care, precision and diligence of winemakers produced healthy, quality grapes, while quantities were hit, as in the rest of the country, by the unusual season and the extreme heat. At Castellina yields were very low: early varieties such as Merlot came in at least 25 to 30 percent below the average of recent years, and some suppliers lost as much as 50 percent of the crop.

• Production: 206,000 hl, down 27 percent, the lowest in 40 years
• Color lively and deep; nose intense and fruity; tannins generally mature and smooth
• Castellina: Merlot and other early varieties at least 25 to 30 percent below the recent average

The Consorzio del Vino Brunello di Montalcino calls 2017 a vintage unique of its kind, in which growers faced a seasonal pattern without equal in the previous decade. Although the warm pattern persisted, the estates' vineyard approach safeguarded acidity and freshness. Vice-president Riccardo Talenti described a vintage with "several descriptive bands" (translated): some estates emphasized the alcoholic side, some picked early to respect acidity, and some waited for greater phenolic ripeness. Rudy Buratti, enologist at Castello Banfi, said in October 2017 that the harvest went better than expected, with wines of great structure, and that irrigation helped, though production fell 25 to 30 percent. Brunello 2017 reached markets worldwide from January 2022, after a preview at Benvenuto Brunello in November 2021 alongside the 2016 Riserva.

• Montalcino: a persistent warm pattern, with acidity and freshness safeguarded in the vineyard
• Styles vary with each estate's choices: early picking for acidity, or waiting for phenolic ripeness
• Brunello 2017 on world markets from January 2022

Decanter's Aldo Fiordelli called 2017 one of the hottest, driest years on record in Tuscany. In Bolgheri, the sea kept coastal temperatures above zero during the 9 April frost, so the young buds escaped damage, and the 25 percent production loss across the territory was mainly down to drought rather than frost. Hot, dry weather from May limited vegetative development and bunch size, and the mid-September rain helped only late varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon still on the vine. The harvest was very quick at Ornellaia and Masseto, and Merlot for Messorio was picked from 17 August to 7 September. Because the vines stopped ripening early, acidity stayed high. Almost all producers also recorded low pH. Fiordelli gave the top wines 4 out of 5 stars, maybe less for the others, placing 2017 below 2015 and 2016 but above warm years such as 2012, 2007 and 2003. In the Maremma, Vermentino came in 30 percent below the recent average and red varieties as much as 40 percent below.

• Bolgheri: 25 percent production loss, mainly from drought
• Acidity stayed high and almost all producers recorded low pH
• Fiordelli: 4 of 5 stars for the top Bolgheri wines, maybe less for the others
• Maremma: Vermentino down 30 percent, reds down as much as 40 percent