Diary 2007

Mother Nature has during 2007 offered both ups and downs for the grape growers of Montalcino. In general the tendency has been positive, though.

The winter was warmer and drier than normal and therefore the vines came out of "hibernation" 15-20 days earlier than normal. Finally in late May / early June rain was falling. 2 weeks of raining on and off was followed by another long period of sun and only in August the temperatures came back to normal, even slightly colder at times. Another dash of rain helped the growing process to normalize and the harvest therefore didn't start as anticipated as many thought it would.

The sun has secured a high level of sugar in the grapes and the phenolic components have developed slowly but steady, all together giving grapes ready to become Brunello di Montalcino, Rosso di Montalcino and SuperTuscans.

We have followed a producer in the period of harvesting and this is what we found out about his "vintage 2007" as is looks right now at the very beginning:

Already one of the last days of August, the Merlot grapes were harvested - this is by Montalcino measures quite early. The high temperatures during the summer had developed a high sugar content in the grapes and the fermentation process therefore has been quick. The grapes seem to have also the necessary acidity and all-in-all the producer is content with the Merlot harvest 2007.

The harvest of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot was done around September 10. Also is this case an anticipated harvest compared to earlier years. In fact the Cabernet Sauvignon, which normally is the grape with the slowest development, was harvested almost 20 days earlier than normal. The sugar content and the phenolic components are at a medium level. With regards to the Petit Verdot, the grapes have felt the lack of rain and therefore the quality level, as with the Cabernet Sauvignon, has finished at a medium level.

Finally the, in this area, most important grape was ready: on September 21 the Sangiovese harvest for the Brunello di Montalcino and the Rosso di Montalcino started and was finished in 2 days. This producer's vineyards with Sangiovese are divided in two, where parts of one of them have felt - to some extent - the lack of rain and therefore the grapes are not quite as high in quality as the rest of the Sangiovese grapes. Fortunately the Sangiovese is a grape that survives also with only very little water. The unusual season has brought a medium level sugar content to the grapes, the skins are quite thin and therefore the grapes have less tannin to add to the wine - all together bringing the fermentation process to be a little shorter than normally.

So far it is too early to define the harvest 2007 and the wine to be put on the market in the coming years. We will know more in January/February 2008 when the fermentation is completely finished and the wines have settled down in the barrels. We can already now tell though, that the quantity harvested this year is quite low compared to last year's harvest, but on the other hand the quality seems good.