Tuscany Vintage Flashcards
Tuscany: 1970
Excellent across the board, but particularly exceptional in Montalcino.
Tuscany: 1971
Exceptional as well; some hail in Chianti but with strict selection the quality was very high.
Tuscany: 1972
Total washout.
Tuscany: 1973
Light and early-maturing; damaged by rain at harvest.
Tuscany: 1974
Generally poor; Chianti is better than the other DOCGs.
Tuscany: 1975
Very hot and dry summer; ripening uneven especially in Chianti but some very good wines there. One of the best vintages of the century for Brunello. Overall big wines with lots of alcohol, color, extract, and acidity.
Tuscany: 1976
Calamitous. Destroyed by rain.
Tuscany: 1977
Very good - much better than elsewhere in Italy. Balanced and elegant.
Tuscany: 1978
Generally excellent, if leaner and more austere than 1979.
Tuscany: 1979
Big, big production numbers. Chianti was good if early-drainking, but Brunellos were excellent - ripe and powerful.
Tuscany: Excellent vintages of the 1970’s
1970 1971 1975 (Brunello) 1977 1978 1979
Tuscany: Poor vintages of the 1970’s
1972
1973
1974
1976
Tuscany: 1980
Late harvest, variable quality.
Tuscany: 1981
Good but not great; early maturing.
Tuscany: 1982
Long, hot, and dry summer and fine weather at harvest. Fuller-bodied, more tannic and austere than the 1983’s; most exceptional in Brunello di Montalcino.
Tuscany: 1983
Relatively big harvest; elegant, balanced wines with lovely fruit.
Tuscany: 1984
Total washout.
Tuscany: 1985
Outstanding vintage; high acidity and extract. Very long lived.
Tuscany: 1986
Good vintage; overshadowed by 1985. Lighter in body than the previous vintage.
Tuscany: 1987
Mixed vintage, early drinking in Chianti. Better in Montalcino.
Tuscany: 1988
Best vintage of the 1980’s? Production down by up to 30%, but very high quality. Rich, powerful wines.
Tuscany: 1989
Difficult year with too much rain in September. Low concentration.
Tuscany: Excellent vintages of the 1980’s
1982 1983 1985 1986 1988
Tuscany: Poor vintages of the 1980’s
1980
1984
1987
1989
Tuscany: 1990
Hot year with low yields; exceptional across the board. Powerful and hard-edged - last “traditional” vintage in Tuscany before the style fully shifted. Very long lived.
Tuscany: 1991
Too much rain at harvest; many fungal problems. Difficult.
Tuscany: 1992
Very wet and rainy. Generally terrible.
Tuscany: 1993
Rainy October in Chianti but most grapes were in already; solid vintage in Monalcino, if more austere and nervy than other vintages.
Tuscany: 1994
Good but not great; round and soft. Significantly better than the three prior vintages.
Tuscany: 1995
Small quantity but excellent quality; one of the three best vintages of the decade. Very elegant.
Tuscany: 1996
Cool summer and variable fall; lighter-styled, early-maturing wines.
Tuscany: 1997
Like 1995, small quantity but esceptional quality; vintage of the decade. Very luscious.
Tuscany: 1998
Drought in summer followed by overmuch rain in the fall; diluted crop. Variable. Light and fruity.
Tuscany: 1999
Big crop, high quality. Similar to 1999 but a touch lighter and more acid-driven.
Tuscany: Excellent vintages of the 1990’s
1990
1995
1997
1999
Tuscany: Poor vintages of the 1990’s
1991
1992
1996
1998
Tuscany: 2000
Hot vintage, early maturing. Soft, round, and fruity.
Tuscany: 2001
Production down due to April frosts. Good quality, if full-bodied and somewhat soft acidity.
Tuscany: 2002
Cool and very, very rainy; choice was between picking underripe and picking rotten.
Tuscany: 2003
Drought and heat stress dropped quantity by !5% or so. Dense, full-bodied, high alcohol, lowered acidity. Overbalanced.
Tuscany: 2004
High quantity, perfect growing season, exceptional quality. Italy’s version of France’s 2005.
Tuscany: 2005
Cold and wet, widespread rot. Difficult.
Tuscany: 2006
Generally excellent; long growing season, well-balanced wines.
Tuscany: 2007
Hot, dry season; high alcohol, high acidity. “Tremendous,” says Jancis.
Tuscany: 2008
Cool year, wide diurnal shift. Excellent, but firmly structured and more on the austere side.
Tuscany: 2009
Exceptionally hot summer; high alcohol and sometimes jammy wines. Originally well-regarded, but may not last.
Tuscany: 2010
Very late harvest due to a late and wet spring. Incredibly highly regarded for Brunello.
Tuscany: 2011
Irregular weather: hot and cold alternating month by month, with incredible heat in August. Rich and high alcohol, but not necessarily fresh.
Tuscany: 2012
Another intensely hot vintage, but this year the result is medium-bodied and fresh wines due to rainfall in August.
Tuscany: 2013
“Classic vintage” (aka cooler than the preceeding three years); harvest in October. Very promising; fresh, elegant.
Tuscany: 2014
Like Piedmont, major hail damage. Better weather in the fall saved the vintages, but wines are light and early-maturing.
Tuscany: 2015
Irregular spring, hot and dry summer. Hail in August. Yields are down, but concentration looks good.
Tuscany: Poor vintages of the 2000’s
2002
2005
2014
