What makes the perfect vintage?

November 3rd, 2014 | Harvest

Perfect stormI have just posted yet another vintage report, this time for our 2014 campaign, and the one thing that’s very obvious from writing these descriptions each year is that every vintage is different. Now, this might seem like a very simplistic statement, especially as our weather here is so variable (and unpredictable), but it did leave me asking myself the question, what are the contributory factors required to make a great albariño vintage? I had a look back through some of our older reports to see if I could find a pattern.

Perhaps the real answer is not quite as straight forward as it sounds, as it’s not simply a question of having good weather and lots of sunshine (albeit that this will certainly help), but it’s really more to do with having the right weather at the right moment. In winter for example, we need a decent amount of rain in order to replenish the water table, and a period of cold weather (with perhaps some days of frost), to help kill off unwanted pests and to give the plants the respite that they need in preparation for the next growing season.

In early Spring, once the thermometer begins to rise, we have bud break, followed two or three months later by possibly the most critical period of the entire year…… flowering.  Poor weather during the flowering period can result in a poor crop, an uneven crop, or possibly even no crop at all. It therefore goes without saying that dry, warm and sunny weather at this time, should produce a healthy, even flowering, and therefore the potential for a good, healthy crop of fruit.

As far as the summer itself is concerned, there is no doubt that a couple of dry, hot months will also help to produce good fruit, but there also comes a point where excessive heat or a lack of water will become detrimental to the harvest. Too much heat can shrivel the fruit, and eventually the plant will start to consume its own fruit sugars, as its natural survival mechanisms kick into action. Bearing in mind that typical Salnés albariño usually has a fresh acidity and an alcohol of between 12% and 12.5%, then it goes without saying that excessively hot summers are not necessarily what we want or need to produce a great wine.

On the other hand (as we know from our recent experiences), excessive water at the wrong time, can cause disease, or at the very least, some degree of dilution in our wine. A light watering during the summer will not hurt, and helps to keep the dust down, but then we certainly do not welcome rain in any shape or form during the harvest itself. In summary there is quite a delicate balance in getting the elements that we actually need, at the right time, and not to any excess….. I think it’s known as nature!

Perfect stormI have just posted yet another vintage report, this time for our 2014 campaign, and the one thing that’s very obvious from writing these descriptions each year is that every vintage is different. Now, this might seem like a very simplistic statement, especially as our weather here is so variable (and unpredictable), but it did leave me asking myself the question, what are the contributory factors required to make a great albariño vintage? I had a look back through some of our older reports to see if I could find a pattern.

Perhaps the real answer is not quite as straight forward as it sounds, as it’s not simply a question of having good weather and lots of sunshine (albeit that this will certainly help), but it’s really more to do with having the right weather at the right moment. In winter for example, we need a decent amount of rain in order to replenish the water table, and a period of cold weather (with perhaps some days of frost), to help kill off unwanted pests and to give the plants the respite that they need in preparation for the next growing season.

In early Spring, once the thermometer begins to rise, we have bud break, followed two or three months later by possibly the most critical period of the entire year…… flowering.  Poor weather during the flowering period can result in a poor crop, an uneven crop, or possibly even no crop at all. It therefore goes without saying that dry, warm and sunny weather at this time, should produce a healthy, even flowering, and therefore the potential for a good, healthy crop of fruit.

As far as the summer itself is concerned, there is no doubt that a couple of dry, hot months will also help to produce good fruit, but there also comes a point where excessive heat or a lack of water will become detrimental to the harvest. Too much heat can shrivel the fruit, and eventually the plant will start to consume its own fruit sugars, as its natural survival mechanisms kick into action. Bearing in mind that typical Salnés albariño usually has a fresh acidity and an alcohol of between 12% and 12.5%, then it goes without saying that excessively hot summers are not necessarily what we want or need to produce a great wine.

On the other hand (as we know from our recent experiences), excessive water at the wrong time, can cause disease, or at the very least, some degree of dilution in our wine. A light watering during the summer will not hurt, and helps to keep the dust down, but then we certainly do not welcome rain in any shape or form during the harvest itself. In summary there is quite a delicate balance in getting the elements that we actually need, at the right time, and not to any excess….. I think it’s known as nature!

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