VINTAGE 2015 (Vintage n. 32) ANOTHER UNIQUE HARVEST

by Mauro Sirri, Celli Vini

I will start mentioning the first descriptive paragraph of the 2014 vintage:

“In the little experience I have acquired, vintages as 2014 can be considered unique: for the seasonal pattern, the harvesting period, the great amount of work to do in the vineyard, the strategies to be adopted in the cellar. A vintage of which we can say to our children and grandchildren: “I was there”.

Considering the 2015 events, we could say: “you never stop learning.” The difficulties raise and challenge our capacities, but human beings have the ability to adapt to unthinkable situations.

Summer 2015 may be considered the hottest and driest that ever passed in Bertinoro. We reached maximum temperatures above 36 degrees and night temperatures that rarely fell below 20 degrees. In pre harvest time, the media normally lash out with forecasts of vintages, which for better or worse shall all be exceptional. Interviews and ads abound, and everyone tries to tell a taller tale. I’m always quite afraid to express predictions, especially when we live exceptional climatic events, such as those of 2015.

The working hours in the vineyard were certainly few, the grass di not grow, the treatments we had to do were few, powdery mildew and downy mildew had no fertile soil, the harvest has passed peacefully without opening the umbrellas.

So everybody was happy, but …… Experience teaches that a perfect world does not exist.

First of all the drought caused a drop in production of 20-25%, a significant increase in the sugar levels and relative low acidities. Temperatures above 33 ° C tend to reduce or stop the photosynthesis, and upset the grapes’ level of ripening. Excessive sunlight and heat can cause sunburn on the grapes, etc.

This means we had to interpret an extreme season and act with extreme caution, avoiding cutting those vine shoots giving shade, but at the same time trying to ventilate the bunches.

We harvested in advance, checking that pH and acidity would remain adequate. The wine – making was scrupulous and careful. We tried to preserve the not excessive part of terpenes that the grapes had matured in not really favourable climatic conditions, in order to have them developed.

Our rigor, our experience, HALF A CENTURY IN BOTTLE, all this will allow us to put on the table as usual wines of character that reflect a territory and speak of ANOTHER UNIQUE VINTAGE.

Dear friends, I wish you all the best until next year

Mauro Sirri