2023 Tuscany Vintage

A mild winter lasted until January, with some welcome snow, then came a dry, cold February. Spring started slowly until May, when some weeks of steady rain brought pressure from downy mildew (peronospora) and powdery mildew. In Maremma, March and April rains built strong canopies at Fattoria Le Pupille, but from May until mid-June it rained practically every day, setting up strong fungal attacks. Spring rain was abundant across Tuscany, especially in June, while on the coast at Tenuta Moraia rainfall was much lower than inland. July brought heat: Tenuta di Trinoro, near Sarteano in Siena province, had the highest average temperatures of the last decade, and Torre a Cona, in the hills east of Florence, saw intense heat. Across Italy, August temperatures reached records, then rain in the last days of the month restored balance in the vineyards. In Chianti Classico, rain was lacking in the weeks before harvest, though the grapes had time to rehydrate. The harvest across Italy ran generally about two weeks later than 2022. In Chianti Classico, La Massa expected a classic harvest between mid-September and mid-October, and Nittardi expected picking slightly later than the seasonal average in both Chianti Classico and Maremma.

Downy mildew attacks left important after-effects on quantity in Abruzzo, Sicily and Tuscany, the reference region for Sangiovese. Confagricoltura Toscana estimated the Tuscan crop loss at 10 to 20 percent. The figures differ by denomination. In Chianti Classico, a drop of 10 to 20 percent on 2022 was forecast, with a very uneven picture between zones, estates and single vineyards. In the broader Chianti denomination, the average drop was 20 percent, with some firms near 40 percent and others helped by prompt treatments. At Montalcino, the Brunello Consorzio was awaiting final checks in September; in late July its president Fabrizio Bindocci had spoken of declines around 5 percent, which WineNews said was perhaps over-optimistic. In Maremma, a drop of around 10 to 15 percent was suggested. In Bolgheri, the drop could end up lower than estimated a few weeks earlier.

Site and altitude shaped the outcome. In the Chianti DOCG, downy mildew pressure was much more aggressive in vineyards between 150 and 250 meters, while higher, windier sites were expected to lose less; Piccini estimated a drop of about 20 percent. At Fattoria di Valiano in Chianti Classico, more disease appeared below 250 meters, and about 30 percent less than a normal harvest was expected. At Ricasoli, weekly treatments in very close rounds carried production through the emergency, and a fairly rich harvest was forecast. At Bertinga in Gaiole, the rains were very welcome after a year and a half of drought but brought strong downy mildew pressure. In Maremma, Le Pupille had an overall drop of 20 percent, while Nittardi found Maremma better than Chianti Classico, with quantity almost at average.

The Consorzio Vino Nobile di Montepulciano rated Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2023 at 4.5 stars out of 5, assigned by a commission of oenologists, sommeliers and restaurateurs and presented at the Anteprima del Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Oenologist Lorenzo Landi described intense colors, good aromatic expression and a structure supported by medium acidity and tannins, with medium-high alcohol. Analysis showed medium values for color, acidity, pH, extracts and polyphenols. The Consorzio's summary of the wines' distinctive trait is finesse and balance.