In Spring
2019, budding, along with the initiation of shoot growth, took place within the
norm, between the end of March and early April. This was, however, followed by
a particularly cold and rainy month of May which drastically slowed down vine
growth and resulted in delayed flowering; this took place at the end of May for
the early-ripening varietals, up to June 10th for the late-ripening
reds. Consequently, the phases of veraison and maturation were also delayed by
about one month but partially recovered thanks to the July heat, thereby
bringing the harvest to its normal timeframe.
The abundant
rainfall in May, which followed a dry winter, was instrumental in creating
water reserves in the soil, thereby avoiding any type of hydric stress in the
vines despite the hot, dry summer.
The harvest
was particularly long; it began on August 23rd with the varietals
for our spumante base, followed by early-ripening whites and closing the month
of August with the Chardonnay for Aurente. September was characterized by wide
diurnal ranges and a dry heat which favoured long ripening times for the Torre
di Giano white grapes (Grechetto, Vermentino and Trebbiano) that therefore
reached the winery with significantly higher sugar levels than in 2018 and perfect
acidity levels.
The
Sangiovese harvesting for Rubesco Riserva Vigna Monticchio began between the
end of September and early October with impeccably healthy grapes of excellent
quality. The vineyards higher on the hills experienced earlier ripening; thus, at
the end of the first week of October we picked the Sangiovese for classic
Rubesco from the mid-hill vineyards, which produced wines that are pleasant,
fresh with fruit and with generous acidity.
The 2019
harvest was wrapped up in mid-October with the picking of Sagrantino grapes in
Montefalco, confirming a positive and particularly rewarding vintage.
