Poggerissi Bianco Toscana

Harvest Report 2024

Winter was quite rainy and it helped to create an important reserve of water in the soil. The beginning of spring was quite rainy helping as well to create a water reserve, but at the same time forced producers to extra efforts to fight fungal diseases.
The flowering and the fruit set were regular and immediately showed that the harvest would be important. From the end of May it started the typical summer season with sunny days and quite high temperature and mainly the month of August was very hot, anyway some well distributed showers and the reserve of water created during the winter and beginning of spring avoided suffering and drought stress to vines.
At the end of August there was a change and it started the classic September weather with cool nights and moderately warm days. Some rains arrived too but never too long or too heavy. Anyway, we decided to pull out the leaves covering the bunches to help them to better catch the sun rays and to keep them dry in a way to avoid any mold problem.
Ripening was regular and not too fast and full ripeness of Sangiovese was reached the end of September beginning of October when we started the harvest. Some rains and the good quantity of crop made it longer than usual but we were always able to pick grapes healthy and well ripened.
We believe the 2024 will hold for us nice surprises: it is a classic vintage not too powerful and too ripe as in the hot years we have had recently, but very balanced and with great finesse. Furthermore, the acidity and the freshness of the fruit will allow the wine to age very well. In a few words I consider 2024 a real classic harvest.

Harvest Report 2023

Vine budbreak began at the end of March, with weather conditions conducive to vine development.
We have had no late frost and temperatures remained within the average range, preventing bud damage. Spring and early summer were marked by frequent, and sometimes intense, rainfall.
High humidity engaged agronomists in preserving the vines from downy mildew attacks, requiring substantial effort in vineyard cleaning, mechanical weed removal, and green pruning to maintain ventilation. Thanks to all this work in the vineyard, we were able to avoid substantial fungal diseases.
Anyway, during flowering and fruit set, persistent rains compromised some inflorescences, leading —together with some downy mildew damage— to lower grape density in clusters and consequently reduced yields. However, the fruit set was excellent, producing well-formed clusters of appropriate size and good grape density.
The early summer did not experience excessive temperatures, and periodic rains helped maintain a cool and well-hydrated subsoil. July was quite hot, but during the month the heat was interrupted by sporadic rains and a consequent decrease of temperature, preventing stress to the plants. August was generally warm, mainly in the second half, but luckily, at the end of the month, some days of rain marked the end of the summer heat and the beginning of September weather with the typical sunny days followed by cool nights. This optimal weather condition slowed the advance of technical grape maturity, favoring phenolic maturity. Plant production was well-distributed, with a yield quite below the regular average. In mid September we started the harvest. The grapes were healthy and perfectly ripe and allowed us to produce structured, concentrated wines with balanced acidity and sweet, ripe tannins. So 2023, even if very small in quantity, can be classified among the great vintages of the last ten years.

Harvest Report 2022

Whilst the 2022 vintage looks largely promising, only time will give us an accurate assessment.
The vintage was characterised by an unusually hot growing season but luckily saved by the rains that followed in August.
The growing season began at the end of a particularly dry winter, moving into a warm spring that allowed for a regular fruit set, although the summer was a scorching hot one. Conditions were so dry at one point, some Chianti producers were forced to employ irrigation methods in order to prevent the loss of younger vines. However, as Chianti Rufina is located in northern Tuscany and close to the Apennine mountains, it is usually cooler than the rest of Tuscany. Furthermore, our vineyards are also protected by the surrounding forests and by their location on inclines. However, the rain which finally arrived at the end of July proved to be a godsend. The fresher temperatures of September together with a regular water supply meant that the grapes ripened adequately.
So, whilst these drought conditions obviously reduced the yield, the fruit that was collected was exceptionally well concentrated, whilst maintaining a balanced acidity and a fresh fruity flavour, and promises to be of a high quality. The wines we have obtained are of excellent body and flavour, are enjoyable immediately, and also have great potential for long-term ageing.