A good year. In this case, however, it is not the famous film by Ridley Scott, but the 2021 harvest which has been able to withstand a very particular climatic season. In fact, if the mild winter had given us hope, the spring frosts and the summer drought put a strain on the vines, impacting the production of the Italian wine sector. However, the decrease in production was balanced with a surprising quality of the grapes, which can be tasted in the coming months, thanks to wines that will stand out for their concentration, structure and depth of taste. This excellent result - which made the 2021 vintage one of the best of the last twenty years - would not have been possible without the experience and commitment of Italian winegrowers and an increasingly accurate viticulture that made it possible to avoid damage up to a few years ago difficult to check.
These premises give hope for an excellent restart of the sector, hard hit by the two-year pandemic crisis, and promise to taste excellent wines in 2022. This is also what is expected from Tenute del Cerro, whose vines have donated perfectly ripe grapes, for bottles that will conquer for their power and complexity, both from an olfactory and gustatory point of view. So let's take an overview of the trend of the 2021 harvest in the Tenute del Cerro and see what the future holds.
Less quantity, more quality: the surprising 2021 harvest
This was the trend of the 2021 harvest which was recorded more or less uniformly throughout Italy, from Langhe to Tuscany, from Valpolicella to Campania, from Etna to Umbria. A long and difficult year, however, due to climatic excesses, which until shortly before the harvest did not give much hope. If the particularly mild and copious winter made the winemakers breathe a sigh of relief, allowing the reintegration of the water into the groundwater and soil, the arrival of spring and the abrupt return to cold caused freezing damage in the earliest vines, leading to less lush vegetation than in previous years. The summer then, with the rise in temperatures and the absence of rain, left the rows dry for the whole season, especially in the Center and South, also making extraordinary agronomic interventions necessary to save the precious grapes. But it was the month of September that, just before the beginning of the harvest period, with its beneficial rainfall and a generalized drop in temperatures, favored the phenolic ripening of the grapes. The initial fear, therefore, was to harvest a light grape, the fruit of a suffering plant, while instead, despite the decrease in quantity, a surprising harvest was recorded for the excellent average quality of the productions.
Harvest 2021 in Tenute del Cerro
The great wisdom of the winegrowers - helped more and more also by the technology that guarantees precision viticulture - has made possible to ripen better and more uniform grapes, unthinkable until twenty years ago, which make the 2021 vintage one of those to remember and Italy world leader in production. At the same time, however, among wine producers there is the awareness of being close to a limit, beyond which it will be difficult to produce wine with the organoleptic characteristics as we know and appreciate it and making it necessary to intervene to stem the crisis. climatic. In the meantime, let's enjoy the fruits of this "excellent vintage" and see how the 2021 harvest was in the Tenute del Cerro and what to expect from the labels that will be presented in 2022.
Fattoria del Cerro, land of Nobile di Montepulciano
Fattoria del Cerro is a jewel set among hectares of elegant vineyards and is the ideal place to discover the Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. In this area, in fact, Prugnolo Gentile, grape variety at the base of this excellence known all over the world, is a local Sangiovese that, over the centuries, has perfectly adapted to the characteristic soil and climate. But how was the 2021 vintage? It could be described as “little but good", indeed very good, always confirming the trend. The spring frost in the lower altitude vineyards first and the hot and dry summer in the higher vineyards thereafter caused yields to drop in quantitative terms. However, the good weather conditions of the harvest months allowed to select and harvest the grapes at the best time. The result? Soft and thick wines are expected, with excellent gustatory depth and structure that, who wants, can also taste in the cellar for a completely new experience.
Poderina, among the valleys of Brunello di Montalcino
We now move to Montalcino, in the Castelnuovo dell'Abate area. This area is known for the particular elegance and balance of its grapes, land of the famous Brunello di Montalcino, here produced in two versions - "Poggio Abate" Brunello di Montalcino Riserva DOCG and Brunello di Montalcino DOCG -, as well as Rosso di Montalcino DOC and Moscadello di Montalcino DOC. As for the harvest, the characteristics of tardivity are confirmed despite the hot summer. Some summer rain, the "sponge effect" of the typical Montalcino clays that characterize the area, the good weather in September and October, together with precision viticulture, finally created optimal conditions for the vines and perfect ripening of the grapes. Expect, therefore, wines characterized by great elegance and structure, and with an excellent aging capacity.
Also in Còlpetrone a harvest to remember
The hills around the Umbrian town of Montefalco have only one true “king", namely Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG, an autochthonous red of international fame. Among the largest producers of this excellence, there is the historic Còlpetrone winery, which to further enhance the characteristics that distinguish this wine, presented a new name and a new precious graphic design with the Sagrantino Memoira label. The usual late sprouting of the Sagrantino vineyards - which certainly deserve a visit during the autumn season to admire the wonderful foliage - has preserved them from the spring frosts, while the hot but not excessively dry summer and the good season that lasted until the end of October, gave rise to a vintage with an excellent quality/quantity ratio. The Montefalco wines of the 2021 harvest will then develop great power and concentration, while maintaining excellent aging potential.
Monterufoli, where milder weather conditions have protected the grapes
Val di Cornia is a unique and suggestive place, ideal for those who love trekking in unspoiled nature, but also for those who want to dedicate themselves to discovering the territory through its flavors. In fact, there are many oenological paths, because it is here that the Vermentino grapes are concentrated, which give the name to one of the most popular Tuscan white wines. The ancient Monterufoli Estate, set in a large and wild natural park, is one of the most important producers of this excellence. Nestled between the hills and the Mediterranean scrub, you do not see the sea from the estate, but you can feel its beneficial proximity ... Compared to other inland areas, the weather conditions during the 2021 vintage were more mitigated and less extreme. No spring frost therefore to compromise the vines, little rainfall, but generally lower maximum temperatures, meant that the season had a very balanced course, allowing the grapes to gently reach the peak of ripeness. This will therefore guarantee complex and elegant wines, characterized by excellent freshness and length.
In all the Estates, therefore, there has been a vintage of quality, which definitely deserves a wine tour to discover the wonderful and fragrant wines that this harvest has given us. Which one are you curious to start with?
