Thoughts About The 2009 Vintage, And San Vincenzo
As happens every year, at the festival of San Vincenzo, the Patron Saint and protector of winemakers, we talked of the vintage just passed.
- A mild winter.
- A cold spring.
- A torrid summer.
- A fantastic harvest, which began on September 14th for the white grapes, and September 30 for the reds.
The harvest was much more abundant this year, thanks to the new Vernaccia, Sangiovese and Colorino vineyards that have entered into production.
The vintage yielded beautiful wines with elegant bouquets. The spring frosts slowed ripening, which resumed with considerable energy thanks to the summer's heat. The fermentations were normal, consuming sugars and mallic acid during the three months prior to Christmas. The new wines are aging on their lees, in vat and barrique.
As always, San Vincenzo was a festival of friendship, bringing together winemakers and friends of our great small world, people who recognize the same truths even if they come from all over the globe.
And as always, we enjoyed pleasurable hours around a long table, exchanging stories and ideas.