Piedmont Vintage Report: 2022 Barolo & 2023 Barbaresco
The 2022 Barolo and 2023 Barbaresco vintages highlight the climatic challenges faced by producers in Piedmont. Barolo 2022 is a story of climatic constraints and careful human intervention. The vintage is moderate in structure and variable in outcome, with success depending on precise vineyard management and restrained extraction. Barbaresco 2023 offers a more balanced, approachable tale, though quality is uneven. Where yields were controlled and disease pressure managed, the wines show clarity, polish, and proportion. Neither vintage is monumental, and market conditions and the availability of back vintages must be considered. We tasted in Piedmont in February and have selected based on our findings. Where possible, we will also be offering back vintages from our own stock and ex-cellar releases from our partners in the region.
2022 Barolo
The winter preceding the 2022 vintage was notably dry, with minimal rainfall and limited alpine snow. Vineyards entered spring with low water reserves, which would prove to be problematic in the hot summer that followed. From April to October, rainfall remained well below historical averages, and prolonged summer heat intensified the issue. Water stress was widespread by the midpoint of the season, resulting in reduced canopies and shoot growth, and smaller bunches than usual. Younger vines and those on lighter, sandier soils were particularly affected. Yield reductions of 30–40% were common. Rain in late July and September provided some relief, but the growing cycle remained compressed. Harvest was earlier than average and was mainly conducted between mid-September and early October. It wasn’t a season of sudden heat spikes, but rather one that was warm from the start and became progressively hotter as the year developed.
Green harvesting was widely used to limit yield in response to the vine’s limited vigour, but de-leafing was generally avoided to protect fruit from the heat of the sun. Vineyard decisions we made to preserve balance rather than to increase concentration. In the cellar, many producers adjusted extraction because skins were often thinner than usual and phenolic maturity did not always match sugar levels. Shorter macerations, moderated pump-overs, and lower fermentation temperatures were commonly used. There is less use of submerged cap in general in 2022. Some single-vineyard wines were not bottled when the terroir expression was deemed insufficient.
The successful Barolo 2022s are generally moderate in scale. Aromatics are open rather than deeply layered. The best wines show clear fruit, controlled alcohol, and fine-grained structure, offering earlier drinking than the more structured trio of preceding vintages. The less successful wines show dilution, higher alcohol levels above 15%, and a muted expression of terroir. If there is a silver lining, it is that disease pressure was low to non-existent due to the dry conditions, and the fruit brought into wineries was generally very clean. Performance across communes is uneven. The clay-rich areas of Serralunga d’Alba generally show greater consistency, and Castiglione Falletto has produced balanced wines. La Morra and Monforte are more variable, with vineyard management and yield decisions being decisive. This is a selective vintage, and purchasing decisions should be evaluated for each producer and each wine within their range.
2023 Barbaresco
Barbaresco’s 2023 season faced different challenges. Persistent rainfall in May and June increased disease pressure around flowering and required repeated treatments in the vineyard. Whilst Barbaresco avoided the worst hail in early July, some areas were affected. Hail nets provided some protection and reduced the risk of sunburn. Conditions then became much warmer, with a prolonged August heatwave. Rainfall earlier in the season ensured soils retained enough moisture to prevent widespread hydric stress. Harvest began about seven to ten days earlier than usual, under generally stable conditions.
Viticultural work in 2023 was a constant requirement throughout the year. Canopy management prioritised airflow and fruit health, with careful leaf thinning employed to limit exposure. Sorting was critical due to disease pressure, and yields were generally kept at moderate levels to ensure uniform ripening after a demanding early season. In the cellar, the approach was typically hands-off. Many producers favoured shorter macerations and gentler extraction regimes, avoiding excessive pump-overs or prolonged submerged-cap techniques. Fermentations were managed to preserve the fruit's freshness and clarity, and the finesse of the tannins. Oak handling tended towards the measured, designed to frame rather than amplify the vintage.
Barbaresco 2023 has produced mid-weight wines with clear early appeal. Tannins are generally riper and more polished than in 2022, and acidity is balanced. Some wines show structural dilution consistent with higher yields. Where crop levels were carefully managed, the wines generally have greater depth and detail. Whilst 2022 showed broader, riper profiles with some alcoholic warmth and grainy tannin, 2023 is more measured in style. Fruit expression is typically red-toned, and structure is based on proportion rather than weight. The vintage is well-suited to early and mid-term drinking, with the best examples suitable for mid-term cellaring.
