The 2001 Grape Harvest

Perfect grape health

The first variety to be harvested in Ghizzano was once again the merlot. The grapes were already ripe by the 30th of August, and this resulted, after racking, in a wine rich in body and tannins. The cabernet and petit verdot were harvested around the 15th of September. The first sporadic rains in September helped the grapes to recover from slight drought stress suffered during the dry period in August. Quantities, as for the previous year, were low but the quality was absolutely amazing. After being drawn off, the wines were immediately transferred to new barriques to undergo malolactic fermentations, and this resulted in full, very fruit-forward wines. sangiovese gave excellent results this year too as the fruit was perfectly healthy. From the 25th of September to the 6th of October, in different phases depending on the different ripening stages of various clones on the estate, we succeeded in harvesting our Tuscan grape with natural alcohol contents ranging from 13 to 13.5% by volume. The must was macerated on skins before being transferred to small two-year-old used oak casks.