Piedmont 2011: instant gratification?

As Piedmont’s 2011 vintage follows the acclaimed 2010 into the market, producers and trade are getting behind a “more approachable”, if less consistent expression of this region.

After even, mild conditions in 2011 encouraged steady ripening, the vintage was marked by an August heatwave. While many producers found themselves picking earlier as a result, some made additional changes in the cellar too.

GD Vajra, a Barolo producer known for its long aging in oak, shortened this maturation period by a year – from the usual 42 months to 30 months – in order to preserve the freshness of such a ripe vintage.

Although describing the 2010 vintage as being “more classic, more Piemontese,” Franco Conterno of Poderi Aldo Conterno told the drinks business: “’10 you can forget, it’s too young; ’11 you can start to drink next year, it’s very approachable.”

Drawing a contrast between the two vintages, he remarked: “It was a little warmer in 2011 so there is less acidity, a bit more alcohol, more sweet tannins – it’s more approachable.”

David Gleave MW, managing director of Liberty Wines, pointed to a less consistent quality picture from the region than in 2010, noting: “In 2011 you needed to pick carefully. It’s how people coped with the heat in August that makes them stand out. Some of the 2011s have a shriveled fruit character.”

For all the differences between the two vintages, and the high profile of 2010, Gleave anticipated healthy demand, especially from sommeliers, for the earlier drinking 2011. “2010 sold very quickly but hopefully it’s still sitting in people’s cellars,” he remarked. “But 2011s are going to be that much more forward”

Overall, Gleave described Piedmont as “doing very well”, commenting: “The attention Nebbiolo has been getting, especially from Barolo, is helping other wines as well. People are looking again at Dolcetto and Barbera, which offer great value.”

Gleave also highlighted the diversity of expression within Nebbiolo, especially for those prepared to look beyond its Barolo and Barbaresco flagships. “I’m a huge fan of what Luca de Marchi and his dad are doing up in Lessona,” he said of Proprietà Sperino, on the northern edge of Piedmont region. “It’s a totally different soil and climate; you get a lovely Burgundian style of Nebbiolo that is much riper with smoother tannins”