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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
After almost 30 years of experimentation and solid work the Marquis decided to release Sassicaia´s 1968 vintage to the open market using his cousin´s, Antinori´s distribution network in the early 1970s, with instant sensation. At a Decanter tasting of Cabernet wines in London, 1978, Sassicaia from vintage 1972 beat all the other 33 wines of France and California, and since then Sassicaia has been one of the leading wines in the world and in great demand among wine collectors and investors. The marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta passed away in 1983. His son, Marquis Nicolò Incisa della Rocchetta, now oversees all estate operations.
Sassicaia means “the place of many stones,” and refers to the region’s gravel soil. The original vineyards have a southwest exposure with extensive sun and maritime breezes that create robust vegetation. The grapes were handpicked, destemmed and crushed before fermenting with natural yeasts for 15 days in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged in French oak barriques (40% new) for 24 months, then refined for 6 months in bottle before release.
Vuosikerta 2020
High rainfall in November and December of 2019 allowed Italy’s water reserves to be restored. Initial predictions from OIV indicate a reduced overall production of 47.2mhl, down only 1% compared to 2019. We’re happy to report that despite a chaotic year for most of us, 2020 is looking like a successful vintage for many Italian producers.
Veneto: The growing season began slightly early for our Venetian growers, and with no reported problems during flowering and fruit set. Mild temperatures and precipitation from March through July were beneficial. Temperatures rose in July and early August, followed by summer storms in the flatlands of Valpolicella that were intense and created some sporadic problems due to heavy rain and some hail, but thankfully didn’t create any lasting damage. The quality and health of the grapes are good, with normal levels in sugar, in line with previous years
Piedmont: 2020 is a vintage to watch, as Barbera and Nebbiolo producers report a calm growing season, with nice weather throughout August and September. The harvest began in October and the health of the grapes is reported to be perfect, with good sugar levels and phenolic ripeness. The key contributing factor was the temperature shift between day and night, helping to develop great aromas and retain freshness.
Tuscany: The weather in Chianti and Montalcino in San Polino’s words “behaved perfectly and properly all summer long with a hot July and August interspersed with exactly the right amount of rainfall at exactly the right time.” Rain just before the harvest brought the relief vineyards needed from hot winds and the soils greedily absorbed any excess water in time for picking. The 2020 vintage for Brunello di Montalcino has less quantity than usual but its quality, San Polino reports, “is out of this world. May be one of those vintages to remember.”
Sicily: The 2020 vintage was very typical for Sicilian growers, and with no major issues. The weather was very dry throughout the year, with some drought, but not too hot, and without extensive heat waves. Mild winds gave the island a healthy environment for grapes to grow and for pickers at harvest time. At the end of July temperatures dropped and there was a lot of rain, which re-balanced reserves and slowed ripening. Thanks to a temperature range of almost 20 degrees between day and night, we can expect good acidity, balanced with phenolic ripeness in Sicilian wines from 2020.