2019 Barolo & Piedmont Vintage

Winter weather lasted into February in Langa, followed by rain and low temperatures until mid-March, so the growing year started slowly. Abundant April rain slowed the start but built up a large store of water in the soil, making up for scarce winter rainfall, and unsettled weather with modest average temperatures through May left the vines about two weeks behind recent years, in line with a more traditional pattern. Wine Spectator reported that rain during flowering in May reduced the crop by 15 to 30 percent, and disease pressure was high at flowering and fruit set. June heat on well-watered soils drove rapid growth. The hottest spell ran from the last week of June to the first week of July, followed by milder days alternating with rain, and a second heatwave at the end of July ended in intense storms without damaging the vines. Giovanni Rosso in Serralunga measured 46 to 47 C in the vineyards at the end of July, and a few growers reported that the heat spikes stopped photosynthesis in some vines and left some sunburned berries. The rest of the summer was mild, with sporadic, regular rain; the summer had hot peaks but averages in the norm. Annual rainfall for 2019 was 654.5mm, against 923.7mm in the rainy, warm 2018, with better distribution and a drier end to the season. On 5 September the most intense storm of the season brought the only hail recorded in Langa, causing heavy damage in two limited areas on the hills around Alba while leaving out most of the Barolo, Barbaresco and Dogliani zones; Decanter reported that the hailstorm mostly affected La Morra. September brought warm days and cool nights, and October was drier with mild days and cool nights. Picking in Langa began around mid-September with white varieties, then Dolcetto, Barbera and finally Nebbiolo, harvested in the second half of October; the harvest finished around 20 October. Production dropped slightly for all varieties and denominations in Langa, and Piedmont's overall wine production was estimated down 10 percent.

• Winter lasted into February, with rain and low temperatures to mid-March; vines about two weeks behind recent years by the end of May
• Rain at flowering in May cut the crop by 15 to 30 percent
• Heat peaks in late June to early July and at the end of July, when 46 to 47 C was measured in the vineyards
• Hail on 5 September hit two areas around Alba, mostly missing Barolo and Barbaresco; Nebbiolo picked in the second half of October

Decanter's Aldo Fiordelli judged that, leaving aside La Morra, which he found too large to define easily and which suffered from hail, both Monforte d'Alba and Serralunga d'Alba performed better than the commune of Barolo in 2019. He found southern exposures back at the top, citing Brezza's Sarmassa in the commune of Barolo, and named Cerretta in Serralunga d'Alba as increasingly one of the best and most consistent MGAs. Gianfranco Bovio did not pick Rocchette Vino because of the hail, and Giuseppe Rinaldi had some sunburn on the grapes in Bussia.

Extraction was easy for many producers. At Paolo Scavino the process was shortened by about 10 days, while Alfio Cavallotto lengthened his macerations by 10 days. Oscar Arrivabene of Domenico Clerico called 2019 a cool year with enough rain at the right times, but said it was hard to get full ripening of polyphenols. Alcohol ran 13.5 to 14 percent, 0.5 to 1 percent below the average, with volatile acidity kept to a minimum, and Fabio Alessandria of GB Burlotto said the analytical data for tannins, alcohol and acidity looked like 2013.

• Extraction was easy for many; Scavino shortened it by about 10 days, Cavallotto lengthened macerations by 10 days
• Alcohol 13.5 to 14 percent, 0.5 to 1 percent below the average
• Good sugar levels, a superb polyphenol profile and high anthocyanin accumulation in Nebbiolo
• Gianfranco Bovio shortened pumping over and moved from barrique to botti grandi

The Consorzio called 2019 a classic vintage with good structure, ideal balance and excellent aging ability, and expected wines of brilliant color. Decanter rated it five out of five, with Fiordelli calling it classic in the Barolo sense of more austere than supple, with slightly more acidity, more structure and a bit of sternness. Fabio Alessandria said, "It produces a vertical wine, one that is straight, not powerful nor broad." Roberto Conterno of Giacomo Conterno compared the more structured 2019 with the super-structured 2013. Wine Spectator's Bruce Sanderson reported that every 2019 he had reviewed so far earned outstanding if not classic scores, and called them the best young Barolos he had tasted since the 2016s. Pietro Ratti of Renato Ratti found 2019 most similar to 2016, while Alan Manley of Margherita Otto rated it the equal of 2008 and 2013.

• Decanter: five out of five; top wines included Rinaldi Brunate, Giacomo Conterno Monfortino, Bartolo Mascarello and GB Burlotto Monvigliero
• Wine Spectator: outstanding if not classic scores so far; the best young Barolos since the 2016s