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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
A cuirassier. Fleshy, extremely focused. Here Serralunga is present with signs of licorice, spices and dark fruits. Cherry, currant and blueberry melt harmoniously together. Velvety and sweetly ripe, with splendidly integrated tannins. San Rocco gives an impression of great power, austerity, with an incredible aging potential. Pure complexity. A strong character. Monumental.
Growing area: Serralunga d'Alba
Grape variety: Nebbiolo 100 %
Vineyard surface: 1.5 hectares
Exposure and altitude: South, 330 m a.s.l.
Soil: Clayey and calcareous
Training system: Guyot, 4,500 vines per hectare
Average age of vines: 55 years
Fermentation tanks: Rotofermenters
Vinification: 22 days, 31 °C
Aging: 24 months in small barrels
Production: 6,400 bottles, 520 magnums, 60 double magnums
Vuosikerta 2018
ITALY 2018 - Evaluation Report
After the gloom of 2017, 2018 saw Italy bounce back, with abundant and healthy harvests in all major wine regions. The total harvest increased by 24% compared to the annus horribilis of 2017, which corresponds to an average year. Typically, picking began about a week later than the exceptionally early 2017 harvest.
Trentino-Alto Adige: 2018 saw a 23% increase in volume compared to the 2017 harvest. Heavy rains at the end of August threatened to compromise the harvest, but a return to warmer weather has allowed to produce healthy grapes. In Mezzacorona in Trentino, the reports from 2018 are extremely positive. Volumes are up 10% compared to average and even more compared to the two previous vintages. Budding took place two weeks later than usual, which made it possible to avoid the risk of spring frosts, which, together with balanced precipitation and continued warm and sunny weather, made it possible to create conditions ideal for a successful harvest. Picking began in mid-August with Chardonnay for Rotari wines and early indications of quality are good, with fresh, aromatic whites and elegant, well-balanced reds expected.
Veneto: After near-perfect conditions during the 2018 growing season, Prosecco producers are hailing this harvest as one of the best ever, certainly in terms of size, with Canevel reporting a ten percent increase in volume compared to 2017. A hot summer followed by a cooler period with some rain in the weeks preceding the harvest allowed the grapes to develop good levels of concentration and acidity. In Masi, volumes returned to average levels after the short 2017 harvest, increasing by ten percent compared to the previous year. The spring was warm and sunny, interspersed with periods of abundant rain, promoting good growth. In total, the precipitation was not higher than the seasonal average and the sparse clusters, due to poor flowering, allowed air to circulate freely around the grapes, which helped avoid the risk of mold. Quality is expected to be particularly high for Amarone from the Valpolicella region as cool, dry weather in September and October provided the ideal conditions for the grape drying process, while Soave also saw an average crop of healthy grapes harvested.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Friuli experienced a good harvest, with volumes up sharply compared to 2017. Record temperatures at the start of August accelerated the harvest and provided perfect conditions for picking ripe grapes and healthy. Masi began harvesting Pinot Grigio and Verduzzo on August 16 and completed picking Merlot and Refosco during the last week of September, recording a 15% increase in size compared to 2017.
Piedmont: Piedmont had an extremely successful 2018, with volumes up 35% compared to the previous year. The harvest has been a success across the region, with Barbera and Nebbiolo all looking good as well as the increasingly prominent Cortese.
Tuscany and Umbria: Chianti Classico was able to report an extremely successful vintage, with a regular growing season and no extreme weather events leading to a good harvest of healthy and ripe but fresh grapes. Antinori reports that the season passed without excessive heat and with enough rain to encourage plant growth. The harvest size was more normal following the shortages of 2017 and the wines themselves are elegant, with silky tannins, rather than large and powerful as they were in 2017. Bolgheri experienced wet conditions which presented a risk of mildew, which always required careful work in the vineyard.
Marche & Abruzzo: In Matelica, Bisci recorded a slight increase in production. A cold winter was followed by an average spring. The summer was relatively hot, but the extreme heat of 2017 was not felt and precipitation increased compared to the previous year, which helped avoid stress on the vines. The result was a good harvest of ripe and healthy grapes. To the south, in the Montepulciano country, La Valentina experienced a steady winter, with frequent spring and summer rainstorms in Montalcino being just as problematic, with a greater proportion of the crop lost to disease. Umbria saw a 40% increase in volume compared to the previous vintage
