(Montalcino, November 2nd, 2010) First-class sugar content with significant and evident acidity together with mature polyphenols characterizes this last harvest: an excellent promise for high quality wines.
The first phase of vegetative growth, from the third decade of April, has been characterized by copious rainfalls that continued till mid June with fairly cool temperatures, pretty much below the season averages. Since the end of June the climate has been warm and dry with important rains returned only at the beginning of September without any consequence on the harvest.
The ripening of the grapes happened in ideal conditions, mainly thanks to the good variations between day and night temperatures during the month of September. The entire cycle of the vegetative growth has been delayed and characterized by a slow but constant and continuous course.
In 2010 the picking of the grapes took place later than in the recent past years returning to the canonical harvest times. We started with the picking of the very first of the white varieties, the Pinot Grigio, on August, 30ththen continuing in the following days with the Sauvignon Blanc and the Chardonnay. With the whites totally harvested, attention turned firstly toward the early ripening of red varieties, Merlot and Syrah, for proceeding then with the last varieties such as Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Good quality for this last harvest with the quantity more or less aligned with the results of 2009.
