Harvest 2017
Strained our winemakers to the limit. This was one of the driest year of the latest decades. The first months of the year were variable with some rains only at the end of February and March. Then, some late frosts occurred, but from May onwards rainfalls were very low. Chianti areas registered only few storms in late spring. Apart from these low rainfalls, temperatures too were always above the seasonal average and, in some periods, especially in July and August, reached high heat spikes.
Seasonal trend
2017
Only the first days of September some rains occurred, not generous, but sufficient to stop that heat that has been straining vines and grapes since long time. These late rains were still useful to complete the grape ripening process in the best possible way.
In order to face this unusual weather condition, it has never been essential as it was this year to focus on vineyard management. Thanks to care, precision and diligence of our winemakers in the winemaking process, we could make healthy and quality grapes. The quantities of produced grapes in the Gallo Nero terroir were affected – as it happened in all the rest of the country – by this unusual seasonal trend and the extreme heat. The figures related to production reports in 2017 in Chianti Classico (HI. 206,000) confirm a 27% of production decrease, marking thus the lowest level of production of the last 40 years.
Despite the significant decrease in produced quality, the 2017 wines are pleasantly surprising since their first tastings in terms of quality. Yet the colour gives wonderful impressions because in general it conveys very interesting, lively and deep intensity and shades. The nose impact is enjoyable too for being intense, varied with important fruity notes.
Tannins are generally mature and smooth in the mouth. Overall, this proves to be a very enjoyable vintage that, despite the initial scepticism, made quality wines that worth also waiting for their future evolution.