Harvest Vintage 2015

The winter of 2015 was characterized by abundant snowfalls which allowed for an excellent water supply to the land. This factor combined with a spring with mild temperatures from mid-February allowed for an early vegetative growth that remained constant throughout the year. The budding was regular and anticipated compared to 2014. The same was for the flowering that began on the Nebbiolo in mid-May which was followed by an excellent setting of the bunches thanks to the beautiful days. A prolonged period of rains arrived after fruit set between the end of May and the first ten days of June. After mid-June and throughout the month of July, temperatures stabilized on maximum values above the average, reaching maximum values of 40° and averages well above 30°. However, the heat did not cause particular water stress problems in the vineyard thanks to the water reserves accumulated during the winter. However, these conditions led to an advance of the maturation of about ten days compared to 2014. The biggest problem in 2015 was that of managing the foliage of the vineyard in the best possible way. To prevent the onset of fungal diseases (Oidium) linked to the stagnation of humidity inside the leaf crown, it is advisable to browse. To avoid sunburn damage as much as possible, it is best to leave more leaves to protect the bunches. This problem was greater in the South and South West exposures and this is the prevailing exposure of our Nebbiolo da Barolo vineyards. We therefore opted for a partial peeling (only on the wall above the vineyard). As far as the health aspect of the grapes is concerned, I can say that the 2015 harvest was one of the best in recent years and definitely the opposite of 2014. The particularly hot climate and the almost absence of rainfall in the summer did not favor the development of "Peronospora" for which the defense interventions have been negligible. This is why I like to define the grapes of this harvest as "Healthy" precisely because the chemical interventions were almost irrelevant. The Barbera grape benefited particularly from the climatic trend of the year. It was particularly balanced and rich with moderate acidity and a notable accumulation of anthocyanins (coloring substances) and was harvested about 12 days in advance. A first part was harvested on September 16th and a second part on September 24th. The Nebbiolo has reached perfect maturation but has suffered more from the heat. Following water stress and excessive heat in the first weeks of September, Nebbiolo underwent a slowdown in ripening. The slowdown mainly concerned the accumulation of coloring substances and the maturation of tannins. With the lowering of temperatures at the end of September, the ripening cycle slowly resumed. The Langhe Nebbiolo was harvested on 24 and 25 September. Instead, for the Nebbiolo da Barolo harvest we decided to wait until 6 October but the harvest was completed in less than a week. The decision to wait gave good results even if the acidity was a little lower than usual. The tannins are dense, intense, ripe and without harshness. Even the intensity of the color has had an undoubted benefit. The wine is already pleasant when young and good drinkability.