This year we had a just enough winter, with little snow and some frosts at night, a natural panacea for the vines. Spring was very rainy, in a few weeks we reached almost two third of the average annual precipitation: we worked the soil in order to let the water in and we had to fight against mildew until the end of June, forced to make more treatments than usual but always far below the limits imposed by the organic rules.
In order to reduce the sugars in the grapes and to have a better ventilation between the vines, we started taking off the leaves on the northern side at the middle of June. For the same reason we waited until early July before topping the branches, to prevent an excessive reboot of the femminelle.
After the veraison we frequently thinned the grapes to restore the balance of the plants and to have more concentration in the fruits, for a yield of 45 quintals per hectare.
The harvest started on September 12 with Merlot and Cabernet Franc, then Sangiovese on September 17, 18, 21, ending with Cabernet Sauvignon on the 26th. The weather was extremely clear and sunny, leading to a slow maturation without a substantial gain of sugars that allowed us to choose the right time to crop.
With all the wines under 15 alcohol degrees, the natural fermentations were gently carried on through soft remontages et délestages. Elegance and finesse are common characteristics of the vintage, that will be transferred in the barriques approximately in January.
