2023 Barolo & Piedmont Vintage

Two climatic factors shaped 2023 across Piedmont: record temperatures and prolonged drought. In the Langhe, late spring brought prolonged rain, with uninterrupted rain in May and June. At Contratto, an Alta Langa producer, fruit set lasted too long in the chilly weather, and about 20 to 25 percent of the grapes were lost between flowering and fruit set. August brought hail and heavy rain to Piedmont, along with prolonged heat and drought, with temperatures in Turin climbing into the high thirties. There was a lot of hail in early July and some in August, with some major damage. In the Langhe, August heat was anomalous, with peaks of 40 degrees, and at Poderi Luigi Einaudi about ten days in August reached 40 degrees and the grapes suffered some scorching. At the end of August, a sudden cold spell and a downpour in the Langhe postponed the Dolcetto harvest at Sandrone. Across Piedmont the harvest was fairly early, generally between August and September, but the Nebbiolo da Barolo harvest was still under way on 10 October 2023. Piedmont's wine production fell by about 14 percent, to 2.06 million hectolitres against 2.26 million in 2022.

• Piedmont-wide: record temperatures and prolonged drought
• Langhe: uninterrupted rain in May and June, then August heat peaking at 40 degrees
• Piedmont: hail and heavy rain in August
• Piedmont production down about 14 percent, to 2.06 million hectolitres

Vignaioli Piemontesi's technicians rated 2023 across Piedmont as "molto buona" (very good, translated), giving the grapes an average of eight stars out of ten. Nebbiolo from the Langhe and Barbera received eight and a half stars, while Dolcetto and Nebbiolo from Alto Piemonte received eight. Denomination wines made up 94 percent of production, with 1.95 million hectolitres declared, and Piedmont's vineyard area fell to 44,285 hectares from 45,823 in 2022, the first decline since 2017. Giulio Porzio of Vignaioli Piemontesi named water scarcity and disease, above all flavescenza dorata, as problems that together lower yields per hectare.

• Nebbiolo (Langhe): eight and a half stars out of ten
• Barbera: eight and a half stars; Dolcetto: eight stars
• Freisa, Pelaverga Piccolo and Ruche: nine stars, the peaks of the year
• Vineyard area: 44,285 hectares, down from 45,823 in 2022

On 10 October 2023 WineNews gathered early assessments from the Deditus association, which brings together Langhe families who own and directly farm vineyards within the Barolo denomination. WineNews wrote that the results, which looked set to be special, would depend on the work done in vineyard and cellar and on each producer's experience (translated). Poderi Gianni Gagliardo called the harvest "miracolosa" (miraculous, translated), with partial sunburn on bunches in some vineyards but no consequences from peronospora, which Stefano Gagliardo put down to Piedmont growers' experience with rainy springs. Vietti contained peronospora through "surgical" picking in the vineyard (translated), which doubled the length of the harvest. At Cordero di Montezemolo thinning was done in early September and yields were slightly lower, while at Michele Chiarlo yields in the crus are around 55 to 60 quintals per hectare, in line with the estate's average.

• Azelia (Lorenzo Scavino): yields in the average, high acidity and an intense polyphenolic picture (translated)
• Luciano Sandrone (Luca Sandrone): little day-night temperature swing even in October; wines already in the cellar excellent, with good balance (translated)
• Poderi Luigi Einaudi: still picking Nebbiolo for Barbaresco, aiming to finish around 20 October
• Pio Cesare: had just begun picking Nebbiolo in Barbaresco and expected a vintage to remember, with great ageing potential (translated)

Vignaioli Piemontesi's technicians wrote that the most appreciable trait of 2023 across Piedmont could be its scaled-back alcoholic power, more in tune with new market demands (translated), and pointed to prospects of better balance, length and complexity. In the Langhe, Michele Chiarlo found alcohol that was not too high and interesting acidity, unlike hot vintages of the past (translated). In late August, Barbara Sandrone told The Drinks Business that Nebbiolo was in a "safe position", adding: "With this recent cold weather we could keep more acidity, which is quite positive."

• Piedmont-wide: prospects of better balance, length and complexity
• Langhe: alcohol not too high and interesting acidity at Michele Chiarlo