2021 Barolo & Piedmont Vintage

A mild winter, still rich in rain and snow, left an excellent water supply that proved essential, because the rest of the season was the least rainy of recent years. Snowfall was repeated in December and January, the last significant snow the Langhe has seen. After falling to -6 C in mid-February, temperatures reached 21 C on 25 February and March stayed warm. Growth restarted regularly and on its traditional timing, not early as in 2020. Frost followed. Temperatures dropped below freezing again on 7 to 8 April with nascent buds in full development, and while Barolo's hillside vineyards are reasonably safeguarded from frost, currents pushed the cold air upward; the damage was localised rather than widespread but hit certain producers hard. Nebbiolo was not significantly affected, with slight damage confined to vineyards at lower altitudes. A cooler May delayed flowering and slowed growth. A long spell of fine weather ran from spring through the summer, and the Consorzio recorded temperatures in line with the seasonal averages and no excesses, especially at night, although Decanter's Michaela Morris described the summer as hot and arid, with occasional sprinkles in July, barely a drop in August, and heat a greater concern than water stress thanks to the winter reserves. Strong thunderstorms in early July peaked on 13 July, when a violent hailstorm hit parts of Castellinaldo, Castagnito, Guarene and Canale, but the Barolo and Barbaresco vineyards recorded no damage. Modest showers in mid-September brought temperatures down, particularly at night, and the cooler temperatures and day-night swings from the second half of September aided Nebbiolo's ripening. Nebbiolo picking began in the last days of September and peaked in the second week of October. Decanter described a late harvest that began in the last week of September, while Alessandro Masnaghetti of Enogea, who collects data from almost 200 estates, put the average start date at 7 October, as many producers waited until after the forecast showers of 4 October. The crop load was estimated at 10 percent below 2020 and the Nebbiolo load was optimal and well balanced, with berries visibly smaller than the year before.

• Mild winter rich in rain and snow built water reserves; the rest of the season was the least rainy of recent years
• Frost on 7 to 8 April; Nebbiolo damage was slight, confined to vineyards at lower altitudes
• Violent hail on 13 July in parts of Castellinaldo, Castagnito, Guarene and Canale; no damage recorded in Barolo and Barbaresco vineyards
• Nebbiolo picked from the last days of September, peaking in the second week of October; crop load estimated 10 percent below 2020

The frost played out site by site. "Damage reached almost 300 metres, which even old-timers had never seen," said Alessandro Veglio at Mauro Veglio. Brovia lost 50 percent of Garblet Sue' in the Altenasso MGA, prime parcels of Cannubi and Rocche dell'Annunziata were damaged at Bartolo Mascarello, and the Giuseppe Rinaldi estate eventually had to replant 70 percent of its Brunate. Rainfall differed between Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero, with Barolo the driest and more rain in Barbaresco and Roero. Cordero di Montezemolo's vineyards escaped the mid-July hail that hit the Roero but suffered a late frost at the end of March on some vines that had already budded. At Domenico Clerico in Monforte d'Alba, in the southernmost part of Barolo, April brought nights with temperatures close to zero but not the feared late frosts. In Dogliani, the drought at Poderi Einaudi was even more marked. Elsewhere in Piedmont, extraordinary weather events damaged between 45 and 70 percent of vineyards in some areas around Vercelli, Biella and Novara in Alto Piemonte, and Monferrato brought in a smaller crop of high quality despite an April frost.

• Brovia lost 50 percent of Garblet Sue' (Altenasso MGA); Giuseppe Rinaldi replanted 70 percent of its Brunate
• Barolo was the driest zone, with more rain in Barbaresco and Roero
• Monforte d'Alba (Domenico Clerico): near-zero April nights but not the feared late frosts
• Alto Piemonte: 45 to 70 percent of vineyards damaged in some areas around Vercelli, Biella and Novara

The Nebbiolo bunches were healthy with optimal phenolic ripeness, and the significant polyphenol content was essential for structured, balanced wines built to last. The dry summer gave an excellent picture for grape health and quality at harvest. The result was small, healthy grapes rich in polyphenols, and Erik Revello at Carlo Revello credits the significant day-night temperature swings with giving the skins elasticity. Several winemakers noted slower fermentations, which Giuseppe Vaira at GD Vajra attributes to low soil nitrogen after the dry summer. At Azelia, yields were lower because the berries were less juicy, but the skins were thick and cool nights kept a certain acidity.

• Healthy bunches, optimal phenolic ripeness, berries visibly smaller than the year before
• Small, healthy grapes rich in polyphenols; several producers saw slower fermentations
• Azelia: lower yields from less juicy berries with thick skins

Harvest began in mid-September with white grapes and Dolcetto. The whites were excellent, with very good sugar levels and marked acidity that should keep them fresh. Dolcetto was among the varieties that did best: its late budding kept it clear of the late-spring cold, and summer nights without big temperature swings protected it from fruit drop. Barbera was picked in the last week of September in ideal conditions, with very high sugars and, compared with previous years, marked acidity, especially malic acid, expected to give complex, long-lived wines.

• White grapes and Dolcetto picked from mid-September
• Dolcetto's late budding kept it clear of the spring cold
• Barbera picked in the last week of September with very high sugars and marked malic acidity

Decanter's Michaela Morris tasted over 300 Barolo 2021 and rated the vintage 5/5, describing charismatic yet well structured wines with great ageing potential. She found them imposing and impactful, with ample, ripe tannins, alcohol well absorbed and acidity admirably preserved, though some were surprisingly lean, a few were heavy-handed, and the least successful struggled with volatile acidity. By commune, the vintage seemed made for Monforte d'Alba, with Castelletto her up-and-coming MGA; Serralunga d'Alba made a strong showing, with Cerretta a virtual treasure trove; La Morra was uneven but delivered more pleasant surprises than letdowns, with Brunate among the triumphs; and the Barolo township was perhaps the most disappointing, feeling the warmth more acutely. In Verduno the best wines came from Monvigliero, and GB Burlotto's bottling took her top score of the vintage so far. She expected some wines to be at their best over the next seven to 10 years, others to deserve longer, and the top wines to suggest a couple of decades. She judged that 2021 may not reach the refinement of 2016 and would not describe it as a classic vintage, but said it has the potential to be considered a modern benchmark in this warming climate.

• Decanter rating 5/5, from over 300 wines tasted
• Monforte d'Alba a highlight, with Castelletto the up-and-coming MGA; the Barolo township perhaps the most disappointing
• Verduno: GB Burlotto's Monvigliero took Decanter's top score of the vintage so far
• Michaela Morris expects some wines to be at their best over the next seven to 10 years, with the top wines suggesting a couple of decades