CEO Mario Piccini and technicians from the Piccini 1882 Group companies talk about the characteristics of the vintage, from Tuscany to Etna.
In the vineyards of the Piccini 1882 Group, the 2024 harvest has just begun with the picking of Vermentino grapes, intended for sparkling wine. “ Finally, after seven years of alternating harvests in terms of quantity or quality not in line, we can this year return to a satisfactory harvest from both points of view. The spring rains have mitigated any water stress and the hot and dry summer has favored the production of healthy and ripe grapes. We expect good if not excellent quality in most of the denominations that belong to the brands of the Piccini 1882 group ,” says the CEO of the Piccini 1882 Group, Mario Piccini . In Maremma , the harvest looks rather promising both in terms of quality and quantity. This last figure, although still below average due to the hot and dry season in some areas, is far higher than that of 2023. Pasquale Presutto , agronomist at Tenuta Moraia in Maremma, states that ” the season started in spring with excellent prospects, the spring rains created sufficient reserves to face the summer without suffering from water stress. The flowering phase developed regularly and, thanks to the dry weather in June, we did not have major problems with fungal diseases. Some problems, especially in Maremma, arose due to the high temperatures that lasted in July and August: the veraison on the reds was rather uneven, especially for the Sangiovese, while the Vermentino, being earlier, did not suffer any problems in this sense. The international varieties are doing well, proceeding towards the end of ripening helped by the night-time temperature range, which has returned to being rather regular since mid-August. “ In the lands of Chianti Classico, where our Fattoria di Valiano is located – continues Pasquale Presutto – the harvest is expected between the last days of September and the first days of October, and is expected to be one of the best in recent decades. The Sangiovese has benefited from the dry and warm climate, with some light summer rain at the right time, the delayed defoliation phase has avoided burning the bunches which are healthy and in the right quantity. The night temperatures, which have dropped significantly since mid-August, will allow the grapes to ripen perfectly. If no adverse weather events occur, we could have a Chianti Classico vintage to remember for a long time ”. As for the Sicilian estate Torre Mora , the winemaker Alessandro Barabes states that: “ in this vintage characterised by very high temperatures and prolonged drought, Etna still stands out for its peculiarities which make it an island within an island, thanks to its unique soil and climate characteristics ”. The Etna denomination , which develops largely on the northern side of the volcano, has responded best to the difficulties thanks above all to the following characteristics: – altitude of the vineyards between 600 and 900 m above sea level, with consequent wide temperature range in summer; – water reserves in the deep layers of the soil, a consequence of the melting of the snow present at high altitude until late June. “ Both the white grapes ( Carricante ) and the red ones ( Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio ) are healthy and in good quantity. We will begin harvesting the grapes dedicated to the sparkling wine base at the beginning of September, then continue with the whites and grapes destined for the Etna rosé in the second week of the month and close with the reds between the end of September and the beginning of October .” “ At our Regio Cantina estate, in the Aglianico del Vulture denomination – adds Alessandro Barabesi – the drought has hit hard. In Basilicata, the last significant rainfall dates back to February. In this stressful situation, the vine naturally tends to favor its own survival at the expense of the fruit, producing smaller bunches and in smaller quantities. This will cause a more limited production, although we hope that the September rains will bring about a regular ripening. In fact, Aglianico is one of the last varieties to be harvested (between the end of October and the beginning of November), therefore, there could still be room to recover and have a quality year, albeit limited in quantity ”. Alessio Ciomei , oenologist at Piccini , instead outlines the picture for the imminent harvest in Chianti : “ we are now close to the harvest in the Chianti DOCG area, which with its over 15,000 hectares of surface area represents one of the largest denominations for reds. Our suppliers are largely concentrated in the provinces of Siena and Florence with some presence in the province of Arezzo. In the three areas, the seasonal trend was rather homogeneous, with a limited incidence of downy mildew between the end of June and the beginning of July, which however only affected the quantity produced. From a quantitative point of view, we have returned to the usual standards, with 30% compared to the very difficult 2023 vintage. Although the highest vineyards suffered from drought, the quality of the grapes is excellent ”. “ The vintage in Montalcino was characterized by a phase of humid pressure between the end of June and the beginning of July which fueled an outbreak of downy mildew. However, unlike what happened last year, when the disease manifested itself early in the flowering phase, the damage was limited to a loss of production, with no effects on the quality of the grapes. On the other hand, the season has always enjoyed a strong temperature range, during the hottest period, which allowed the vines to better manage the ripening. As often happens in Montalcino, the last 20-30 days that separate us from the harvest will be decisive for quality. Nonetheless, today we can associate the quality of the 2024 harvest with the 2019 one and limit ourselves to the more recent ones ,” says Santo Gozzo , winemaker at Villa al Cortile .