LA VENDEMMIA 2020

This extraordinary year appears to have had an upside; nature has thrived in Tuscany amidst our various degrees of lockdown, confusion and disarray and we are filled with the energy and excitement of harvest at Montecalvi.

Ground water levels were well replenished during the winter months and then of course the realities of the pandemic set in during the spring.  The world paused, trapped in time, but nature continued on its course and we had the most glorious long spring in Tuscany.  May was cooler than usual which lengthened the race and then summer took hold in June, becoming quite warm during July and August, which allowed the grapes to make great progress.  Veraison took place in early August and throughout the month the grapes deepened in colour and concentration.  Fine weather has stayed with us in September and it is only now beginning to feel autumnal, signalling harvest.

Our small squad works carefully by hand, vine by vine, to select the best fruit to bring to the cellar. We then do a further hand sorting of the grapes before they enter the vats for fermentation. Each step is overseen by our winemaker, Tim Manning, and the vineyard team, Yahya El Harchaoui and Marco Nicastro, whose years of experience are invaluable during ‘la vendemmia’. The team is sustained through the harvest by Laura Vegni (who otherwise runs our cantina), who provides lunch each day – possibly the most important task of all!

We are thrilled with the quality of fruit that our vineyards have produced in 2020. It’s still too early to call it, but everything we have seen so far signals a very good year for both drinkability and ageability. We look forward to sharing this vintage with you in the years to come.