San Polo Montalcino - Diario della Vendemmia 2017

DIARIO DELLA VENDEMMIA 2017 HARVEST DIARY 48 49 The 8000-litre red concrete tanks are really attractive! They are a sort of treasure chest because they keep Brunello in fermentation. We use concrete because it is an inert material from a thermal point of view, there is no external heat exchange. The heat that develops during fermentation is therefore easy to control and therefore we can proceed with maceration at a medium- low temperature, a process that enables us to achieve more effective extraction of all the noble components of the skin. Prolonged maceration allows us to extract anthocyanins (which give colour to the wine) and tannins, the component that makes wine suitable for lengthy ageing. This wonderful journey is about to end but we don’t have time to indulge in wistful nostalgia. Riccardo gives us accurate instructions and wants to start right away with the green manuring in the vineyard plot near the Guest House. Green manure acts like a fertilizer and confers vitality to the soil to facilitate the development of the vine. The first processing is manuring with humus, an organic, completely natural substance. Subsequently, we sow a mix of cover crops such as leguminous plants that are useful for fixing nitrogen in the soil and the roots, in penetrating it, break it up, thereby fostering aeration. These details are essential for helping the vine grow healthily and naturally because they ‘make the difference’ and, in the case of extreme vintages like the one we are about to conclude, they become decisive in achieving quality.