2011

Late June and early July were very hot, speeding up the final stages of grape development.

The good weather encountered through the year’s various seasons certainly contributed to what might be a great year for the Black Rooster: a warm, rainy end of winter opened up to a mild, wet spring until late May and early June, very helpful in ensuring good water reserves for the vines, which developed somewhat earlier than the norm. Late June and early July were very hot, speeding up the final stages of grape development.

A very hot, arid August, helped by big night/day temperature differences in September gave a further spur to grape ripening although in quantity terms there was 10% less fruit than in previous years.

Refinement in the cellar is proceeding normally. The late September rains in fact lowered temperatures, especially in the higher vineyards, and so grape fermentation was slower than in other regions which did not enjoy cool weather just before the harvest. The wine in the cellar has fine acidity and “crunchy” tannins that seem to have all the right stuff for guaranteeing a vintage to be enjoyed even in the years to come.