San Polo Montalcino - Diario della Vendemmia 2017

DIARIO DELLA VENDEMMIA 2017 HARVEST DIARY 4 5 Difficult vintages are said to reveal the true potential of the best terroirs, and never has this been truer than in the 2017 vintage in Montalcino. Since the end of 2016, the vintage had been marked by weather that we can certainly describe as ‘extreme’. The winter was mild and very dry, as was the spring. This led to bud-burst occurring about two weeks earlier than normal, with plant growth developing quickly right from the beginning. The frost that hit the area in the middle of April caused enormous damage across much of Europe, and yet it was at this stage we experienced the area’s first, and very timely, ‘intervention’. Thanks to the location of San Polo’s vineyards, with their southern exposure, 450-metre altitude and abundant air circulation, our vines suffered no damage and were able to continue their vegetative growth undisturbed. The summer that followed was marked by elevated temperatures and almost no rainfall, which created difficult conditions for the vines. Again, at this stage, we were able to appreciate the advantages of a particularly well-suited wine growing area, which treated us to daytime breezes and excellent day-night temperature variations, creating conditions that relieved the vines, which showed no symptoms of drought or heat-related stress. This situation allowed us to benefit from our fantastic terroir’s final and most important help: the rain that fell between the end of August and the beginning of September. Not only did it restore the land’s water reserves, but it also gave the final ‘go ahead’ for the most important stage in the ripening of Sangiovese, the last month before harvesting. We realized right at the beginning of the harvest that, with a terroir that is almost unrivalled in the world and a team that worked skilfully, passionately and with dedication, we would be able to overcome the many challenges presented by this difficult 2017 with flying colours. The vintage was certainly extreme, and this adds to the joy and satisfaction we feel in tasting the first interesting results with the wines, which are rich, vibrant and full of character. It will be an immense pleasure to uncork them in five years’ time and remember this season, which has been so difficult and wonderful in equal measure.