Activities throughout 2004 can be distinguished by their very normalcy. Growth began late, particularly for late varietals, thanks to the limited reserves of starch in the vines following the lack of water in 2003. That said, favourable weather conditions, including the amount of rain and an ideal temperature range between day and night during the months of August and September meant that the vines were able to recover and the grapes matured just as they should, in a slow, regular pattern, producing a must in which the sugar content and acidity were well-balanced, the pH level low and the level of malic acid quite high, all of which mean that the bouquet of the wine are guaranteed to be particularly complex.
2005
This year's vintage began with an unusually wet, but mild spring. The weather conditions were not ideal when the flowers appeared and this resulted in smaller bunches of grapes than in previous years. The fruits however, began to mature and ripen during a hot dry period that slowed down that process and the early stages of sugar accumulation. The timely arrival of rain towards the middle of August restored the water balance and hastened the ripening process that then progressed as normal. During the first few days of September, the weather (high temperatures and humidity) meant that it became necessary to thin out the leaves around the clusters of grapes. Harvesting began in the second week of September and ended around the middle of October. Overall, despite a not particularly favourable beginning to the harvest, 2005 can be considered a good vintage.
2006
Spring that year was fairly wet and that restored the water reserves to the land. Temperatures were consistently below seasonal norms and this delayed flowering and consequently, fruiting. The ensuing summer was hot and dry and this furthered the accumulation processes of the fruits that were also assisted by the thick covering of foliage. Abundant sea breezes in August ensured that the ripening of the fruits progressed as normal. In 2005, the harvest began around 10 days later than was usual during this decade, which was all to the advantage of maintaining the acidity of the musts and a low pH.
2007
The year began atypically, with blossoms appearing much earlier than usual which, thanks to the mild spring, was followed by a period of rapid growth, A brief cold spell during flowering slowed the fruiting process and the grape clusters of late varietals seemed much less plentiful than usual.
From mid June and throughout July, the lack of rain and torrid heat slowed the vegetative process of the plants. Two timely rainfalls at the beginning of August and early September warded off any damage due to water stress and re-established the right conditions for the fruits to mature as normal. So harvest started, beginning as always, with the Merlot, around the 1st of September. Despite a troubling start to the year, this vintage proved to have good characteristics and great aging potential.
2008
The climatic conditions during this year were, on the one hand, typical of the Tyrrhenian coast (very bright with high temperatures in July and August) and on the other, typical of Atlantic regions (good rainfall until June and lower than usual temperatures in September followed by a hot and dry October). It led to a harvest that started in the first half of September and lasted until after mid-October. This allowed the grapes to ripen slowly, developing color through water-soluble pigments (anthocyanins) and sweet tannins, and the aromas of the varietal grapes were not affected by over-ripening issues. It was a classic vintage, enduring and restrained, but which promised well for the future.
2009
A mild, wet winter meant that blossom appeared very early. A hot spring encouraged early and considerable leaf growth but rain as flowers started to appear caused them to fall which ultimately led to a fall in production of around 20%. The summer was hot and dry which meant treating the vines to prevent over-ripening and maintain sufficient acidity. The early harvest and low yields as well as a critical selection of grapes on the vine meant it was possible to maintain appropriate levels of maturation and acidity. Whilst this was not an extraordinary vintage, it did, never-the-less, hold promise.
2010
The 2010 harvest was characterised by seasonal conditions that were fairly unusual for this area. The weather remained quite cold, with regular rainfall until almost the beginning of June. July saw a complete turn about and conditions became extremely hot. Pigmentation of the grapes was slightly delayed, but frequent irrigation ensured they ripened on time and the plants did not suffer unduly from water stress. As a result of all this, picking began later than usual and the harvest was characterised by frequent rainfall that was, fortunately, thanks to the vicinity of the sea, followed by windy days that helped dry off the grapes and stop the development of dangerous moulds. The difference between this year's wines and those of 2009 lies in the good levels of acidity and a great capacity to age well.
2011
The winter was fairly cold and wet and the spring was dry. That was followed, between the beginning and middle of April, by around 15 hot days that resulted in an excellent show of blossom. The temperatures remained lower than usual and there was no rain until June. Up until the end of August therefore, harvest was expected to be later than that of the year before. In the second half of the month however, the arrival of an anti-cyclone from Africa, meant that the temperature changed unexpectedly and rose quite significantly, staying above 40° during the day and around 30° at night. The grapes ripened very quickly and that led to an earlier harvest than anticipated and during that time, the auspicious weather conditions meant that work progressed well and without any problems. Harvest began with the picking of the early varietals on the 25th August and ended on 28th September. Some plants were starting to show some stress from lack of water, but on the whole, the grapes picked were very healthy and there was no need to worry about the arrival of any rain that might have ruined the harvest.
2012
The winter of 2012 was one of the mildest and driest of the last 20 years. The rare falls of rain were not enough to increase the water reserves that were low following a year as dry as the one that had just passed. This meant the vines blossomed early and developed slowly. The summer was very hot and included a long dry period that slowed development down almost to the point of stopping. Harvest was very early (24 August) and went on until mid October (Cabernet Sauvignon). The alcohol content remained moderate and the wines retained their freshness despite the torrid summer. The high quality, freshness and acidity of the wines are the most noticeable characteristics of this vintage that turned out much better than expected.
2013
In 2013, climatic conditions for the vines were ideal. There was plenty of rain during the winter months which meant there was enough water to guarantee an excellent return to growth and there were also regular showers right through until the end of June. July and August on the other hand, were completely dry, but the grapes continued to ripen well, showing no signs of stress from lack of water. What is more, thanks to the high temperatures and significant variations in heat, both maturations, phenolic and technological, went well, which meant that harvesting took place a week earlier than usual.
2014
This vintage will undoubtedly be remembered for the exceptional rainfall that continued throughout the year. In actual fact, it has been decades since such a wet and cold spring and summer have been recorded. The most significant consequences of these weather conditions were that the grapes ripened very slowly and the vines needed much hard work to ensure that they remained healthy. That said, the wines that resulted were, without a doubt, characterized by their great freshness, acidity and very restrained tannins.
2015
The abundant rain that fell in February, March and April delayed new growth in the vineyards but this also guaranteed good water reserves that proved vital in dealing with one of the driest summers in recent years. Drought and high temperatures meant that the technological ripening of the grapes in July and August was faster than usual. Then, the temperature range that we experienced from the middle of August to the middle of September ensured that the phenolic ripening was perfect. 2015 is a year to be remembered for its richly aromatic white wines and extremely complex red wines, both in terms of their aroma and their structure.
2016
Winter rains and high temperatures meant that the vines germinated earlier than usual and the shoots grew quickly. However, as the season progressed and it stopped raining, the spring and summer that followed proved to be quite dry and hot and this delayed ripening which meant that the grapes were harvested at the same time as usual (end of August through to early October). Overall, we consider that 2016 was an excellent year, especially as far as our Cabernet Sauvignon and Viognier wines are concerned.
