2004 Harvesting
This harvesting has occurred in a way we had long forgotten, that is, it had a regular seasonal trend and a slow, late ripening. After a winter finally worth its name, a season characterised by heavy snowfalls and cold temperatures, the renewal of the vegetative activity was normal and not ahead of time.
Then in the comparatively long and typical spring period there was a good rainfall; this was followed by a summer without excessively high temperatures, as in the recent past. There were windy, sunny days (never exceeding 30°) followed by cool, pleasant nights.
After a rather rainy, irregular August, the turning point was certainly the exceptional September and October climates characterised by breezes and winds, unusual for our Piedmont. This favoured a slow, but steady ripening of the grapes which turned out to be enviably healthy. Finally the result was the “normal” harvesting we were no longer used to.
This harvesting will surely be remembered for its astonishing quality when compared to the surprisingly high quantity of grapes.
The wines
The year 2004 is a year that can be defined “traditional”, as the difference lay in the best places rather than in the lower ones. The excellent health of all grapes, with really high skin integrity, cannot but lead us to express very positive considerations about all wines.
The real protagonist of 2004 wines will be their nose because of its delicate, complex scents, while the structure, more balanced than in the past, and above all a better acidic quality,make us foresee long evolutions for all wines.
The white wines and the young red ones, both characterised by a vibrant, complex and deep fruit promise to perform well.
Our nebbiolo wines will be long remembered for their elegance and for their structure, which, together with their tannic quality and the excellent acidity , will enable very long ageing potentials.