PICCINI’S REPORT ON THE 2022 VINTAGE, THANKS TO ESTATES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT ITALY, WELL REPRESENTS THE STATE OF THE WINE SCENE.
Thanks to its estates, scattered throughout the Bel Paese, Piccini 1882 represents a litmus test of the Italian wine scene, offering an ideal vantage point for observing the progress of the 2022 harvest. Overall, the group’s scoreboard is very positive: this year the quality of the grapes is excellent, from north to south, and “2022” promises to be an excellent vintage that will not be long in entering the roll of honor of enthusiasts and experts.
Mario Piccini, retracing the progress of production throughout the year, says, “2022 was an unpredictable year from a meteorological point of view, and for this reason the work in the vineyard in the first months of the year, was very challenging. The entire winter period was characterized by higher average temperatures than in recent years and a significant absence of precipitation. The arrival of spring, with showers in several parts of Italy, diluted the water stress. Finally, beginning in June, the thermometer began to soar, ushering in a summer with record temperatures. However, the drought that had preoccupied the entire peninsula was overcome thanks to the fundamental work done in the vineyard in the preceding months.”
The scarcity of rainfall in the summer months did not affect production; on the contrary, it helped keep the grapes healthy from a phytosanitary point of view.
“The grapes,” comments Marco Cerqua, Piccini’s Technical Director, “presented themselves at the starting tapes in excellent phytosanitary conditions. The dry summer safeguarded the health of the plants, since the main vine diseases develop due to intense rainfall, humidity and water stagnation. This has allowed us to limit our interventions in the vineyard, delivering healthy and balanced fruit. The wines signed 2022 will exhibit an intriguing and ripe tannic profile, bringing elegance and refinement as a dowry; while the pleasant acidity will result in vertical and deep wines. In short, the 2022 vintage has all the credentials to enter the roll of honor and win the hearts of wine lovers.”
Between August and September, abundant rainfall fell over much of the country, bringing relief to the vines and accompanying the plants toward proper final ripening.
Chianti Classico and the Tuscan Maremma
In Chianti Classico, where Fattoria di Valiano is located, grapes of exceptional quality have been harvested, having reached a degree of excellent ripeness.
Pasquale Presutto, Technical Director of Fattoria di Valiano, in Chianti Classico: “Despite the high temperatures of the last period, the vines show no signs of particular suffering. Credit goes to an abundant spring of rainfall, which created a good water reserve; but also essential during the winter was our methodical prevention strategy that allowed water to reach the deeper aquifers. Finally, in response to the summer heat, during the season, our cultivation techniques allowed us to limit evaporation.” Pasquale continues, “The mid-August rains saved the season, redeeming the vines, which had been taken hostage by drought. The phenolic maturity of the grapes, which until then had been blocked due to the heat, underwent a decisive acceleration that allowed us to arrive at harvest time with optimism. The result is one of the most beautiful ripenings I have seen in the last decade.”
In terms of yield, Chianti Classico surpassed last year’s numbers, which had seen a lower concentration of fertile buds due to spring frost. However, despite the uptick, the quantities of this vintage continue to remain below the 10-year average.
Maremma Toscana, home of Tenuta Moraia, is also experiencing a similar trend, albeit with yields about 10 percent lower when compared to previous vintages. Here, as elsewhere, harvest time was brought forward by about ten days due to the drought, which, despite fears, yielded fruit in perfect health. In the goblet, the reds will be at good levels of quality, while the whites and rosés will touch summits of absolute excellence.
The slopes of Etna in Sicily
At Torre Mora, perched along the slopes of Mount Etna, the harvest began on September 7, two weeks earlier than the usual harvest period. The special microclimate guaranteed by the volcano has allowed the estate to thrive, as winemaker Alessandro Barabesi explains, “The significant temperature ranges between day and night, the altitude and the constant north winds have cradled the grapes, accompanying them with a gradual ripening of all phenological stages. Here, rains fell first in early August and, then, in the first week of September, ensuring a higher yield than in previous years, by virtue of an optimal flowering period. Given these premises, Torre Mora did not disappoint expectations, delivering us a grape of rare beauty.”
Vulture slopes in Basilicata
In Basilicata, on the slopes of Vulture, Regio Cantina has maintained its 2021 estimates, ensuring yields in line with recent vintages. Here, water hardship was not particularly felt, and the plants responded by producing healthy, juicy grapes. Credit for this also goes to the organic approach taken to combat the outbreak of fungal diseases: at Regio Cantina, in fact, the vines are managed with a phytosanitary treatment based on microbiological preparations, which can prevent the spread of botrytis. In late August, however, hail caused damage to plants, although limited to only two vineyards. The harvest at Regio Cantina, beginning on October 14 (about ten days in advance), as per tradition, will close the Italy vineyard harvest.