2024 Tuscany Vintage

A note on sourcing before the weather. The Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico did not publish a 2024 vintage-conditions page of its own, so what follows is its written harvest analysis as republished verbatim and attributed by WeChianti, alongside independent reporting. Per that analysis, winter was very regular, with temperatures around average and steady, regular rainfall. February and March were particularly mild, as they had often been in recent years, which produced a slight advance in budbreak. Through the spring months when new shoots are most exposed, the Consorzio records no frosts and no particular hail events, although John Fodera's harvest reporting describes scattered April frost damage causing 10 to 20 percent crop reductions in certain areas and a fierce hailstorm that cost Badia a Coltibuono 45 percent of its production. The second half of April and the month of May then ran below average temperature, slowing vegetative development, with frequent and abundant rain in that period and again in June, which the Consorzio says demanded careful and accurate vineyard work to head off fungal attack. The Consorzio credits the high altitude of Chianti Classico's vineyards and good ventilation across the zone, plus accumulated grower experience, for keeping vine health under control throughout, and says the copious spring rain meant the territory handled the high summer temperatures without difficulty. Decanter's account adds that the wet spring brought high disease pressure and that agronomy teams stayed aggressive on spraying after the peronospora losses of 2023; Casa Emma's Paolo Paffi told Decanter he treated his vineyards 20 times. Rain at the end of August and the start of September, together with a significant drop in temperature and marked daily swings, stretched the ripening cycle, according to the Consorzio. That allowed a more spread-out picking period, beginning the week after mid September and running to mid October in the later zones. Decanter reports that the vines rebounded from 2023's low yields with a bumper crop, citing Consorzio production of 305,000 hectolitres, 50 percent above 2023 and the highest since 2019.

• Per the Consorzio analysis quoted by WeChianti: very regular winter, average temperatures, steady regular rainfall
• Mild February and March produced a slight advance in budbreak
• The Consorzio records no spring frosts and no particular hail; John Fodera reported localised April frost and a hailstorm costing Badia a Coltibuono 45 percent of its crop
• Second half of April and May below average temperature, slowing growth; frequent abundant rain through June demanding careful anti-fungal work
• High vineyard altitude and good ventilation kept vine health under control, and the spring rain reserves carried the territory through high summer temperatures
• Late August and early September rain plus a sharp temperature drop with wide daily swings extended the ripening cycle
• Harvest started the week after mid September and ran to mid October in the later zones
• Yields: 305,000 hectolitres per Consorzio data reported by Decanter, 50 percent above 2023 and the highest since 2019

The Drinks Business reported from Chianti Classico during the October picking and found producers comparing the conditions to the 1990s. Giovanni Manetti, Consorzio president and head of Fontodi, told the publication on 7 October that it had been a long harvest with slow ripening, that very low night temperatures had kept acidity while sugar rose slowly, and that reaching physiological ripeness at low sugar was a gift not seen since the 1990s. He put concrete numbers on it: Riserva and Gran Selezione at 14 percent rather than 15, annata at 13 percent rather than 14. He also acknowledged the difficulty, saying it rained every two or three days, while insisting the grapes were healthy, and credited the low temperatures with avoiding rot. Picking at Fontodi began on 20 September. Angela Fronti of Istine, in Radda, made the same 1990s comparison and stressed that the difference from thirty years ago is better vineyard management to avoid rot, which for an organic producer means opening canopies and increasing air circulation rather than systemic treatments. Luca Orsini of Le Cinciole pointed to site: good exposure and high altitude meant more wind to dry the fruit and better drainage. Laura Bianchi of Castello di Monsanto said the estate decided to pick row by row rather than parcel by parcel, given how uneven ripening was.

• Giovanni Manetti, Fontodi and Consorzio president, to The Drinks Business: a long harvest with slow ripening, low night temperatures preserving acidity, physiological ripeness reached at low sugar
• Alcohol by category per Manetti: Riserva and Gran Selezione at 14 percent rather than 15, annata at 13 percent rather than 14
• Rain every two to three days during picking, with cool temperatures credited for keeping rot away; Fontodi started picking 20 September
• Angela Fronti, Istine: a complicated harvest managed through canopy opening and air circulation rather than systemic treatments
• Luca Orsini, Le Cinciole: high altitude and good exposure gave drying wind and better drainage in a wet year
• Laura Bianchi, Castello di Monsanto: picking row by row rather than parcel by parcel because ripening was so uneven

Decanter's Michaela Morris reports a Chianti Classico vintage unlike any in the previous decade, with the successes vivacious, agile and refreshing, showing perfume and lightness with real flavour, and notes that quality is mixed. Monteraponi's Alessandra Deiana told Decanter the wines recall Chianti Classicos of earlier eras, describing them as elegant, fine boned and lively. Roberto Stucchi of Badia a Coltibuono credited the extended ripening cycle with lower alcohol, brighter acidity and a freshness in the wines. Not everyone agrees: Matteo Buccerelli of Antico Podere Casanova decided against bottling a Chianti Classico at all, calling the wine too thin. Morris also notes practical consequences of the year, with thin delicate skins demanding gentle vinification, and describes 2024 as a vintage for immediate and uninhibited drinking rather than cellaring, with 2023 carrying more stuffing and a sturdier backbone over the next four to five years.

• Decanter: the successful wines are vivacious, agile and refreshing, with perfume and extraordinary lightness, though quality across the vintage is mixed
• Monteraponi: elegant, fine boned and lively, recalling Chianti Classicos of earlier eras
• Badia a Coltibuono: the extended ripening cycle delivered lower alcohol, brighter acidity and freshness
• Dissent on the record: Antico Podere Casanova declined to bottle a Chianti Classico, calling the wine too thin
• Thin delicate skins pushed winemakers toward gentler handling, with less pumping over, no punch-downs and shorter macerations
• Decanter's drinking advice: a vintage for immediate enjoyment, with 2023 holding more structure for the next four to five years

A lighter, higher-acid Sangiovese vintage at 13 to 14 percent alcohol is a gift for Tuscan cooking, which is built on acidity, salt and olive oil rather than richness for its own sake. Decanter describes the 2024s as chillable and immediately drinkable, which widens the range considerably beyond the big grilled meats.

• Bistecca alla fiorentina: the classic Sangiovese match, and the acidity of 2024 handles the char well
• Pappardelle al cinghiale: wild boar ragu against a fresher, more aromatic style of Chianti Classico
• Ribollita and crostini di fegatini: everyday Tuscan plates that suit a lighter, lower-alcohol year
• Pecorino Toscano with salumi: simple regional pairings for a vintage built for near-term drinking