Old-school or contemporary? Chianti Classico’s wineries argue that 2024 is both.
‘They recall the Chianti Classicos produced in vintages of yesteryear,’ says Monteraponi’s Alessandra Deiana, who describes them as elegant, fine boned and lively.
At the same time, wineries are hopeful that these chillable, chuggable reds will appeal to today’s tastes. ‘It’s what wine drinkers are looking for now’, asserts Paolo Paffi at Casa Emma.
What is the 2024 style?
Stylistically, the 2024 Chianti Classico annatas are slender and frisky, with modest alcohols typically hovering between 12-13%.
Quality, however, is mixed. Those that shone are vivacious, agile and refreshing, exhibiting lovely perfumes and extraordinary lightness with satisfying flavour.
Some are less charming, even a bit angular, while the weakest examples reveal lean and diluted wines with green, unripe tannins.
Embodying the beauty of 2024, Badia a Coltibuono is my top annata. Other highlights include Monteraponi, Jurij Fiore & Figlia’s unoaked Sonocosì, and Principe Corsini’s Villa Le Corti for value.
Viticcio spent less time in wood to allow for an earlier release and is all the better for it. Both San Giusto a Rentennano and Poggerino show a bit more density and structure relative to their counterparts without forsaking the identity of the vintage.
While the annata category is often a treasure trove of wines that overdeliver, this is less prevalent in 2024. Even so, most sit comfortably and modishly within their station.
I am less inclined to put away a few bottles ‘for science’ as I often do; instead, it is a vintage for immediate and uninhibited drinking.
For those – like me – who love lithe sprightly reds, the vintage’s successes are worth buying. Who knows when a profile like 2024 will come around again?
Clinging on to organics
The most recent data from the Chianti Classico consorzio confirms that certified organic vineyards have reached an impressive 55% of the entire region. Including those still in conversion, the percentage is estimated to top 60%.
The challenging back-to-back vintages of 2023 and 2024 certainly tested growers’ resilience, and rumours of producers renouncing organic certification have been circulating.
But beyond a couple of estates that requested a temporary exemption, I have only encountered one that has officially relinquished certification.
At Casa Emma, Paffi recounts having to treat the vineyards 20 times in 2024. After weighing up the detriments of compacting the soil, copper accumulation, and using fuel, he determined: ‘It wasn’t economical, intelligent or sustainable.’
Nonetheless, the estate remains committed to lowering its environmental impact through a myriad of initiatives such as banning all plastic, adopting lightweight bottles, and generating solar energy.
Chianti Classico 2024: Vintage in depth
The 2024 vintage of Chianti Classico is certainly unlike any other in the last decade. A wet spring, followed by the dry and progressively hot summer somewhat resembled 2023.
September and October, however, were marked by cool temperatures and unremitting rain, the likes of which growers had not seen in years.
‘That extended ripening cycle gave us lower alcohol, brighter acidity, and a freshness and luminosity in the wines that I find genuinely exciting,’ raves Roberto Stucchi at Badia a Coltibuono.
While many echo his enthusiasm, others are less convinced. Matteo Buccerelli at Antico Podere Casanova decided against bottling a Chianti Classico altogether, claiming that the wine is ‘too thin’.
By all accounts, the growing season was gruelling. The wet spring brought high disease pressure, and after devastating losses to peronospora (downy mildew) in 2023, agronomist teams were extra vigilant about staying on top of spraying.
The vines rebounded from the low yields of 2023 with a bumper crop. The Chianti Classico consorzio reports a total production of 305,000 hectolitres in 2024, which is 50% more than 2023, and the highest since 2019.
At San Giusto a Rentennano, Luca Martini di Cigala says that green harvesting was ‘fundamental’ to achieving full ripeness.
He dropped 25-30% of bunches between July and August, and another 10-12% at the beginning of September. ‘Too often, grape thinning is done too late or not at all,’ he emphasises.
The heavy loads were exacerbated by the rain in September, which plumped up berries and slowed ripening, particularly in areas with less sun exposure. The once common practice of deleafing became vital again.
According to several growers, achieving phenolic ripeness was a challenge, especially in vineyards where the summer heat had blocked photosynthesis. However, waiting for ripeness increased the risk of rot.
The long and onerous harvest lasted well into October and required multiple passages in between downpours.
Thin, delicate skins demanded gentle vinifications. Winemakers cited everything from less pumping over, avoiding punching down and shorter macerations.
The latter was also due to logistics, as there were just so many grapes to vinify – estates scrambled to get their hands on more vats to deal with the surfeit.
‘2024 was undoubtedly difficult to manage, and costlier compared to other years,’ says Angela Fronti at Istine. ‘Nevertheless, it was highly rewarding in the end.’
Read the rest of Michaela’s Chianti Classico analysis:
Our expert picks out her top-value Chianti Classico buys
Chianti Classico: The enduring appeal and resilience of Riserva
Gran Selezione: Chianti Classico’s 100-point milestone
Late release – A look at the 2023s
Ultimately 2023 boasts more stuffing compared to 2024 along with a sturdier backbone to sustain the wines over next four to five years.
For savvy short-term cellaring picks, look to Bertinga’s La Porta di Vertine, Nittardi’s Vigna Doghessa, Castello di Verrazzano and Pomona.
Likewise, Fontodi’s perennial over-achiever doesn’t disappoint. One of my personal favourites is from I Fabbri, which marries sneaky concentration with overt deliciousness. L’Erta di Radda and Tenuta di Carleone are equally satisfying.
Finally, I noted significant improvements from Castello Monterinaldi and Cantalici’s Baruffo, which is even more commendable given the difficult year.
Michaela’s pick of Chianti Classico 2024 (& late releases)
Stones, coins and carbon: Why Lamole’s elevation is its most precious asset
Panel tasting results: Unadulterated, unoaked Italian reds brimming with freshness
