2020 will be remembered as a year of long, alternating periods of heat and cool, giving rise to a wine that is characterized by both. The year began with a mild, dry winter with few truly cold days. While January was mostly sunny some snow and rain finally arrived in mid-February. The end of February saw a rise in temperatures indicative of a precocious spring.

Early March brought continued good weather, unseasonably warm and dry, and we rushed to finish the winter work. By mid-March, the weather had cooled considerably, and the rate of vegetative growth slowed significantly. In April, weather patterns were established that continued nearly the whole growing season: 4-5 days of brilliantly sunny days, followed by 1-2 days of rain. This gave plenty of water to the plants but complicated the treatments schedule. The extra humidity brought on serious infections of Peronospora in the region. Luca’s long experience allowed us to keep ahead of the disease and we saw no significant damage in 2020. Flowering in late May was under favourable conditions and brought a good crop set. Some real heat arrived at the end of July but was mitigated by the continuing sun-rain pattern and the deep groundwater reserves that had built up. Warm weather continued until mid-September when a series of thunderstorms cooled off the region. The next few weeks were exemplary, with bright, sunny days and crisp, cool nights. The harvest was easy and the fruit ripened evenly.

Harvest took place from October 1st until the 8th.