Fall 2019
We can really define as rich the harvest that we left behind a few days ago, both qualitatively and quantitatively and we are fully satisfied with it!
By analysing the climatic trend, we can point out that the past winter was characterized by temperatures below average, it brought poor rains with an anomalous distribution and here, in the Montagnola Senese, it even brought some local snowfall in the last days of January.
On the contrary, since the end of February, the recorded temperatures were well above seasonal average and brought a significant advance of the growing season that had already started in March.
Then the blooming period was slightly slowed down by a drop in temperature and heavy rainfall in May that, on the other hand, allowed an important water supply, suitable to face a hot summer with very few rainfall.
Since the first days of June summer definitely started, bringing very high temperatures which persisted above the seasonal average even for quite long periods, from 7 to 10 days. These conditions re-balanced the phenological phases and the sugar ripeness, leading the fruit to a wholesome growth, that has satisfied our quality expectations.
The moderate rains in the last days of August cooled the air and granted a perfect temperature range between day and night, which is essential for the phenolic ripeness of our grapes. Our vineyards reacted well and got in excellent conditions at the time of harvest, that officially started on September 16th here in our Estate, with perfectly wholesome Merlot grapes; the ideal September weather conditions allowed us to reap excellent Sangiovese clusters starting from 26th. Then we closed up with the harvest in the little vineyards of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah in the first half of October, stating a slight increase in production of about 10-15%. The produced musts showed a good balancing between sugar content and acidity, that is an important requirement to obtain regular fermentations and, as a consequence, fresh, fruity wines, with a good potential for the development of our major and more structured wines.
The 2019 vintage confirms the climate change in action and we notice, above all, the lack of linearity in seasons, with an increase of violent phenomena that happen more and more frequently. After all, we are witnessing an increase in seasonal unpredictability and even a rise in temperatures that technically leads to an advance of the phenologic phases.
So how shall we behave, as vine-dressers, to mitigate these effects in real terms?
Certainly we have to think again of our work in the vineyard and choose to carry out a more eco-sustainable production through farming practices that can help the vine to tolerate weather anomalies. This means taking care of the winter pruning, nourishing the soil by promoting its natural fertility, intervening in the leaf nourishing in order to obtain an excellent metabolic activity, able to foster the natural defense processes of the vine and doing the cluster thinning. Every single action we do must absolutely respect the environment and its resources, becoming a precious heritage for the future generations.
