There was a silver lining to this bizarre year: during the various phases of the lockdown, where chaos and confusion reigned, nature in Tuscany continued to thrive. We are thrilled and excited about the harvest in Montecalvi.
The winter got off to a great start, providing the ground with the necessary water supplies to cope comfortably with the season, but then during the spring we were overwhelmed by the pandemic. The world stopped, halted temporarily, but nature continued on its way, facilitated by the long spring we experienced in Tuscany.
Temperatures in May were lower than usual, lengthening the run, then summer came in earnest in June, becoming warmer and warmer in July and August, allowing the grapes to make great progress. The veraison broke out in early August, and in the weeks that followed, the grapes became darker and more concentrated. The beautiful season continued through September, only recently introducing us to the first sensations of autumn, and this is the signal that it is time to harvest.
Our small team harvests by hand, moving slowly from vine to vine, paying attention to the selection of the bunch to take to the winery, and then making a second selection of the grapes to add to the tanks for fermentation. Every step is followed by our winemaker Tim Manning, along with our vineyard team of Yahya El Harchaoui and Marco Nicastro, whose vast experience is indispensable during the harvest. The team is supported during the harvest by Laura Vegni (also part winery manager) who prepares lunch for the grape pickers-perhaps the most important task of all!
We are very happy with the quality of grapes our vineyards produced in 2020. It is still early to declare it, but from a first analysis, the concentration is high and the acidity is good, all good signs of drinkability and aging. We look forward to sharing this vintage with you in the years to come.
