The favorable weather patterns at the beginning of spring favored an early budding of about one week for the various varieties. All through the spring we had excellent weather, warm temperatures and the right amount of rain, resulting in excellent flowering and the relative vegetal cycle. This optimal vegetative balance of the vines ended in full ripening between the end of July and the beginning of August, about 7 to 10 days earlier than usual. The excessive heat wave around mid August, lasting only a week, did not slow down maturation, and the first grapes gathered showed immediate promise of an excellent vintage. Due to the early ripening of the grapes, we began our “green harvest” just after mid-August, selecting and thinning to eliminate any excessive production. In conclusion, the early harvest coupled with a rainless period of picking allowed us to bring in excellent mature grapes. A very careful selection of the grapes from the three estates in Chianti Classico, Santa Cristina, Badia a Passignano, Pèppoli, was made at harvest time, which began at the second mid September. The grapes were destemmed and gently crushed; maceration took place partly in 50 hectoliter wooden open fermentors (with periodic cap submersion for better extraction of color, complexity, and tannins), and partly in stainless steel tanks, for a period of 15 days (temperatures were kept below 30°C), during which time the wine also completed its alcoholic fermentation. The wine was then transferred into new, one-years-old and two-year old 225 liter French oak barrels (Alliers & Troncais), where it completed its malolactic fermentation by the end of the year. The wines were then racked, and after careful blending of the different estate lots (master blend) and the different grape varieties, the blended wine was returned to the barriques, where it aged another 14 months, was bottled, and remained for a further 12 months in the bottle prior to relea Alcool : hol: 13.50% |