Harvest 2022

Andrea Costanti of CONTI COSTANTI

In the end, it was an excellent quality vintage – in some ways, a fantastic surprise.

For us, it was the earliest harvest in history – we picked 12-16 September at Colle Matrichese. In the past, the earliest we started was 17-18 September. For example in 2003, 2012 and 2017.

The growing season was dry until late May and only got back on track in terms of rain in mid-August. This was early too as the temperatures lowered and overnights were cool.

The must is at the end of fermentation now and is showing excellent acidity with potential alcohol levels around 13.8-14.6%.

The structure is excellent, the color gorgeous and the tannins soft yet distinct, typical of hot vintages.

We want to see how the wine evolves, but we are sure we will make a 2022 Brunello Riserva.

Daniele Zeffirini of FULIGNI

The 2022 harvest was not totally regular. After a mild winter with little rain, spring was hot and dry, and flowering and veraison came earlier than usual. The early summer months were also hot and dry but cool nights, typical to northern Montalcino, helped stave off water stress in the vines.

August was mild and there was a lot of rain, which re-balanced the grapes normalizing harvest times. We finished in late September.

The grapes were extremely healthy and high quality, with gorgeous acidity, rich in anthocyanins and balanced alcohol, typical to vintages destined to long aging.

Franco Bernabei for SUPREMUS, MONTE ANTICO and TOSCOLO

Winter 2021/2022:

• Average rain until March 2022 and no snow or drastically low temperatures.

Spring 2022:

• Spring saw very little rain, which mostly fell in the month of May. April saw high temperatures, which started the growth cycle about 15 days early. Fortunately, there was no frost, and the growth cycle was consistent.

Summer 2022:

• Very little rain in June and July, however, there was over 60 mm of rain in the second half of August. Temperatures reached over 38 °C but there were excellent diurnal temperature changes with nighttime temps as low as 16 °C; Veraison began in early July, about 10-15 days early and in fact, grape maturation as a whole was about 10-15 days early. The vineyards did not suffer drought conditions.

September 2022:

• Average daytime temperature of 28-30 °C and nighttime temps of 16-18 °C. The grapes saw morning dew and were perfectly healthy and crisp with an average number of clusters. Alcohol levels were a bit over the average.

The 2022 vintage will surely be an excellent one, with healthy, full grapes leading to wines suitable to long aging.

Stefania Bussotti of CIGNALE

The 2022 vintage saw great dryness in spring and summer with about 50% less rain than 2021 and very high temperatures that began in late spring and lasted for a long period. Considering we are in elevated hills, full of forests and soils with good water reserves, the growth cycle was quite regular for us even if a little bit early. The weather changed in mid-August with a series of strong storms that brought abundant rains and lower temperatures. These conditions were decisive in helping the vines overcome the first signs of suffering and gave them the push they needed to complete full maturation. Harvest took place about 15 days earlier than usual, in early September. The quantities are about 15% higher, while the quality is excellent.

Lorenzo Ficini of ARILLO IN TERRABIANCA

While 2022 was different for each of our estates, there was one common link between the three: there were many sunny days –also in spring. Until mid-August, we thought we would be harvesting early, but thankfully, some rainfall in late August balanced everything out. We harvested about 10 days earlier than average.

We saw some water stress in our Maremma vineyards, but this was mitigated by cool nights and the fact that temperatures never exceeded 40 °C (104 °F) like in other difficult vintages (like 2003 and 2017). Radda and Pienza did see some water stress, but it wasn’t a limiting factor and quality is excellent. We expect perfumed, balanced, and medium-structured wines with good aging potential.

Gioia Cresti of CARPINETA FONTALPINO

The growth cycle was great, very productive. Spring saw average rainfall and everything was regular. However, in late May, the hot, dry season began, though the water reserves gave us hope. In August, we were a bit worried, because we saw early symptoms of drought, but with the heavy rain in August everything stabilized. Harvest went well, just a week early, but the health of the grapes allowed for a peaceful picking. Vinification is going well and it’s early, but I think 2022 will be great quality!

Giuseppe Pancrazi of MARCHESI PANCRAZI

The 2022 vintage was positive in terms of quantity and quality. The rains in late August helped the last phase of maturation. All of the wines, which have already been racked, show persistent and intense aromas, which leads us to believe this will be an excellent vintage.

Franco Bernabei of FELSINA

We can certainly say that it was an unusual year, especially in terms of the weather. We saw very little rain from March to mid-August. Budding came early, and fortunately, the cold didn’t come back and production was thus uncompromised. Sangiovese began ripening in mid-July. The vines were able to stand up to water stress and we carefully managed the canopy. The vineyards saw heavy rain starting 15 August –120 mm in 20 days and there were a few hailstorms. There were a few issues but overall, the grapes are very good quality.

Lombardy

Laura Gatti of FERGHETTINA

The 2022 season saw a warm spring, early bud break, and perfect fruit set. The rest of the growing season saw abnormally high temperatures and a great lack of rainfall. We harvested 8-22 August. The grapes were perfect, but lower in quantity. The quality is excellent, especially Pinot Noir.

We expect rich and structured wines that still maintain their freshness.

Veneto

Trentino Alto Adige