Avignonesi

When it All Clicks - Avignonesi Harvest Report 2015

2015 is first and foremost about balance; balance between sun and rain, which in turn brought balanced growth in the vineyards, a balanced grape yield per plant, a beautiful harvest period and wines with a wonderful balance between power and elegance.

Since Virginie Saverys took over the winery in 2009, all efforts at Avignonesi have been concentrated not only on crafting the best wines possible in each vintage, but also on creating the best-growing conditions possible for the vines in each vintage. After a series of weather-challenging vintages, 2015 has, finally, provided our young and dynamic production team with a real chance to express its full potential.

Some would say that 2015 is an easy vintage, but make no mistake – quality does not just happen. It always takes a lot of hard work to secure perfectly healthy vines and grapes on a surface of 200 hectares/495 acres.

The success of our vineyard management depends on a constant, on-foot observation of the vines - “walking the vineyards”, as we call it. This year, we also used aerial photography of the vineyards, to obtain 6-colour vigour maps of all the lots. When laid on top of our own soil profile maps and confronted with the on-foot data, it gave us detailed snapshots of the growth and health of all the vineyards and allowed us to act and treat preventively when needed. It also helped us determine when to pick the grapes and how to divide single vineyard lots into separate sub-parcels based on altitude, soil, vigour and temperature. We were able to pick the grapes from each sub-parcel when we felt they were ready. This is a big difference compared to 2014, when nature, with the frequent threat of heavy rain, made the choice for us.

Ashleigh Seymour, winemaker: “I have had both the time and the opportunity to experiment in fermentation. I am, for example, excited about the whole-berry fermentation of our top Merlot. The results are more than promising. I have also been much more selective in managing the skin maceration of our Sangiovese to enhance the special traits of each Vino Nobile lot. This year some of my favourite Sangiovese comes from La Stella, a bush-trained vineyard which usually gives very low yields. In 2015 yields have finally gone up and the quality is excellent. In my opinion La Stella 2015 may become ‘Grandi Annate’ material.”

 

Matteo Giustiniani, winemaker: “This year it is ‘easy’ to make good wine, and 2015 will certainly be recognized as a vintage to look out for, at least for Tuscany, but I actually look forward to seeing the 2014 wines on the market. 2014 was challenging on many fronts. It is one of those vintages where the wineries, which have made a severe grape selection during picking and worked well during vinification, will stand out. To give you an idea, in 2014 we declassified 1/3 of our wine and we decided not to make any of our top selections. This actually means that our core wines, such as Vino Nobile, are excellent. In 2015 we can pick and choose. The prime material for all the wines is wonderful.”
 

Alessio Gorini, Chief Agronomist: “After some years dedicated to studying the behaviour patterns of all our vineyards we now know them well enough to apply tailor-made cover crop seed blends to each lot, decide where to intensify the applications of biodynamic preparations and when to work the soil. We aim to enhance the virtues and reduce the vices of each vineyard. All this can only be achieved because we have a great team of dedicated men and women in the vineyards. I cannot stress this fact often enough.”



 

Virginie Saverys: “What makes me happy is the seamless collaboration between vineyard and cellar workers I have seen this year. For the pied de cuve of our Chardonnay, we even called the office staff out to pick grapes. One big family, committed to a common goal. We have also continued our investment in new technology with the trial of a second optical grape sorter. We opt for a natural approach in tending to our vineyards, because we believe that this is the best way to protect our most valuable assets, the soil, the plants and the people, and we adopt state-of-the-art production technology to ensure that we get the job done right. After a couple of vintages with extreme weather (2013 hot and dry, 2014 cold and wet), 2015 permits for the Montepulciano terroir to shine through in each and every wine. That’s what we want. Balanced, elegant wines which taste of place and grape.”

Avignonesi picked a total of 913.7 tons of grapes from 10 different vineyard sites and had a medium yield of 5.7 tons per hectare/ 2.28 tons/acre. Harvest of the white grapes started with Chardonnay on August 31st. We started picking the red varietals on September 10th, approximately 1 week earlier than normal and finished on October 7th.

This year we also had an excellent olive harvest.  Avignonesi owns 1470 olive trees, and in 2015 we produced 1.870 litres of certified organic extra virgin olive oil, all processed in our own olive mill.


 

We are also happy to introduce a new member to the cellar team! Chicco, a border collie that has been a big help during harvest this year and can always be seen around the winery, searching for a good belly rub.
 

2015 Weather Details:

Spring was rainy and not too warm. The soil was able to fill its water reserves during winter and spring.

We saw bud break on April 10th, in line with recent years.

Flowering started on May 25th, slightly earlier than last year, due to a constant rise in temperatures during spring.

The month of July was very hot with a few hailstorms. In particular, 2 of our vineyard lots were hit particularly hard. They were treated with propolis and valerian sprays to minimize the damage.

Veraison started on August 6th and evolved very quickly due to the heat.

The vines reached moderate stress levels during August, but the rain showers at the end of the month helped them ripen regularly, as temperatures also dropped to normal.

September was a near-perfect month. Warm, but characterised by healthy, Northern winds and significant day-night temperature swings, accompanying the vines in their final ripening stage, where they were able to reach an excellent balance between fruit, alcohol and structure.

The winery is named after the Avignonesi family, the founders of the original estate.

Constant research and development aimed at expressing the true character of the Montepulciano terroir has, over time, earned the winery a well-deserved place among the flagship producers of Tuscany.

In 2009, Avignonesi was acquired by Virginie Saverys who has since introduced organic and biodynamic farming methods to craft distinct, genuine wines with an even stronger character, and has acquired additional vineyards and a state-of-the-art winemaking facility in the Montepulciano appellation.

We believe that the life force of the earth and the uniqueness of our terroir are at the heart of our brand. Avignonesi is reborn from the soil of our vineyards with each vintage in wines that mirror the subtle flavours of the site and the special traits of each year. Our wines express the richness and beauty of the Montepulciano territory. We respect the heritage of Montepulciano, where Sangiovese wines have been produced for centuries, and we wish to contribute to its future by being the finest representative of its heritage that we can be.

We respect the innate character of each wine and seek to follow its natural evolutionary path from the soil to the cellar and - finally - to the bottle.

At Avignonesi, looking after our 200 hectares of vineyards keeps our agronomists busy all year round.

We are the stewards of the land on which we grow our vines. In order to create the healthiest growing habitat for our grapes, we must let the vineyards imitate nature as far as possible, despite the fact that they are monocultures.

We use no chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers and try to see to the vineyard’s needs throughout the year by working the soil and growing secondary crops between the vine rows, thus restoring the biodiversity of flora and fauna both above and below ground, and by use of the biodynamic preparations 500P and 501, in addition to a mix of phyto-therapic herb teas to fortify the vine's immune system.

Our main aim is to make terroir-driven wines which express the distinct character of our vineyards. We use indigenous yeasts when we can and pursue subtle wine management to help each wine find its natural path and preserve the characteristics of each grape lot.  We ferment and age each lot separately for our classic wines, and only decide on which blend we think will do a particular grape and vintage justice after the ageing process.

Starting with harvest 2013, our main vinification and ageing cellar is located at Lodola estate, which we acquired in 2012. Here we keep both the "botti," which are large barrels made of Slavonian oak and traditionally used for Sangiovese in Tuscany, and the smaller 225 liter casks called "barriques" which are made of French oak. 

The "Vinsantaia," where our Vin Santo and Occhio di Pernice age in "caratelli," small 50 litre oak casks, is located at Le Capezzine estate.

Click on the links below to learn more about the process of crafting red wine, white wine and Vin Santo.

We are currently using sustainable farming methods in all of our 200 hectares of vineyards.­

In April 2011, we formally applied for organic certification of the entire Avignonesi estate. This started a mandatory 3-year certification period during which we must observe all the principles of organic viticulture. The acquisition of additional vineyards in Montepulciano in 2011 and 2012 means we will be granted full certification in 2016.

However, we have decided to go one step further and apply a biodynamic approach to our vineyards. This holistic and regenerative farming system focuses on the health of the soil, the integration of local flora and fauna, and biodiversity.