Looking at the general weather condition all over thru the year, we had: a dry spring with warm
temperatures, a bit above the average for the period which anticipated the budding; the summer
season brought more rain with numerous thermal oscillations.
This was followed by hot weather, interspersed with more cold and rainy
days, during which the temperature dropped below the seasonal average. This thermal oscillatory
trend has slowed down the ripening process of
the grapes which was good, but at the same time small outbreaks of botrytis
appeared on the bunches.
The harvest started on the 20th September and we immediately selected the best grapes.
After a few days, the temperature increased and helped to bring to correct maturation the grapes left
on the vines. In this period warm days were followed by cool nights with very large thermal
excursions.
This allowed us to pick healthy grapes, preserving a great level of acidity and arresting the
development of botrytis. The result was in berries characterized with an elegant sugar maturation.
The harvest lasted longer than normal, due to some rainy days and it ended in mid-September.
In brief:
Initially the situation was very delicate due to the not complete maturation level of some fruits.
Changes in weather conditions helped in maintaining a good fruit maturation keeping intact the
correct level of acidity.
The vintage did not produce a large quantity whereas, thanks to the important thermal excursions of
the last period, the quality was very good.