Piedmont Vintage Flashcards
Piedmont: 1970 & 1971
Both excellent; 1971 slightly edges out 1970.
Piedmont: 1972
Disaster - declassified by the chamber of commerce (under pressure from the mediatori).
Piedmont: 1973
Poor to average quality, varies by cru.
Piedmont: 1974
Good but not great vintage; high quantity.
Piedmont: 1975-1977
Low quality, very difficult due to rain in the spring and at harvest.
Piedmont: 1978
Exceptional - powerfully structured, very slow maturing wines.
Piedmont: 1979
Good, troubled by rain at harvest (October).
Piedmont: Exceptional vintages of the 1970’s
1970
1971
1978
Piedmont: Disaster vintages of the 1970’s
1972 1973 1975 1976 1977
Piedmont: 1980 & 1981
Damp and difficult.
Piedmont: 1982
Rich, weighty, well-balanced. Similar to BDX.
Piedmont: 1983
Big crop, no concentration, major fungal disease.
Piedmont: 1984
Disaster, especially for Barbaresco.
Piedmont: 1985
Excellent; similar in some ways to 1978, but a larger crop.
Piedmont: 1986
Variable - major hail in Barolo (none in Barbaresco).
Piedmont: 1987
Very difficult - heavy rain at harvest. Generally poor.
Piedmont: 1988
Solidly good, especially in Barbaresco (some issues with rain at harvest time in Barolo). Soft, attractive, and full.
Piedmont: 1989
Exceptional; overshadowed by 1990 which means the pricing is often better.
Piedmont: Excellent vintages of the 1980’s
1982
1985
1988
1989
Piedmont: Poor vintages of the 1980’s
1980 1981 1983 1984 1987
Piedmont: 1990
Big power, big aromatics; one of the most highly reviewed vintages of the century.
Piedmont: 1991
Wet summer and autumn; wines are light and washed out.
Piedmont: 1992
Massive rains in autumn resulted in an almost total washout.
Piedmont: 1993
Irregular; generally poor, but not as bad as 1991 or 1992.
Piedmont: 1994
Again, wet and cool in the fall. Very difficult.
Piedmont: 1995
Small crop due to hail. Good; certainly the best of the last five, but not as good as what came after.
Piedmont: 1996
Difficult spring, but the results were very good. First of a string of excellent vintages.
Piedmont: 1997
Warm vintage with a prolonged hot spell; high sugar levels, lowered acidities, some stuck fermentations. Wines are very approachable young; a much-heralded vintage in the American press.
Piedmont: 1998
Fine and elegant; likely much more ageworthy than 1997.
Piedmont: 1999
Very good - rich, and voluptuous. Recalls 1997.
Piedmont: Excellent vintages of the 1990’s
1990
1995-1999
Piedmont: Poor vintages of the 1990’s
1991-1994
Piedmont: 2000
Very good vintage; smaller crop. Softer and full-bodied.
Piedmont: 2001
High quality and quantity; relatively early harvest. Some lowered acidities; softer in structure.
Piedmont: 2002
Very, very difficut; hail, rot, unripeness. Some great wines by producer.
Piedmont: 2003
Overripe, somewhat raisinated. Better wines from older vines. Good but may be overblown.
Piedmont: 2004
Lovely, well-balanced. “Like 1964.”
Piedmont: 2005
Solid but not outstanding; some difficulties from drought.
Piedmont: 2006
Challenging season, but results are classic wines with fine structure and power.
Piedmont: 2007
Hot summer, hail, low yields, ripe wines. Small crop of good quality.
Piedmont: 2008
Austere and strict in comparison to 2007’s plushness; potential for great staying power.
Piedmont: 2009
Very warm vintage, with severe dryness and water stress. Lowered acidity and some rough tannin due to vine shutdown. Quality varies by producer.
Piedmont: 2010
Irregular fruit set; some strict selection necessary. Results are an outstanding, classic vintage with high acid, firm and ripe tannins and great balance.
Piedmont: 2011
Very hot vintage, early harvest. Wines are ripe, supple, and occasionally very high alcohol.
Piedmont: 2012
Heat wave in August caused shutdown; subsequent rain restarted the growing cycle and autumn was long and dry. Lighter-styled vintage, with good acidity and freshness.
Piedmont: 2013
Difficult spring led to a hot, sunny, dry summer. Currently looks to be moving on par with 2010.
Piedmont: 2014
Wet winter, wet spring, disastrous hailstorms in July, especially in Barolo. Will be a small crop, likely very lightly styled.
Piedmont: 2015
Hottest July on record; mitigated by high water tables from rain in the spring. Looking good, if lower in acidity than ideal.
Piedmont: Exceptional older vintages:
1958
1961
1962 (overshadowed by 1961)
1964
