Before beginning the harvest I was worried and a little depressed about the vintage. The season was late at every stage, August and the beginning of September were relatively cold and it looked like an overabundant crop: everything left the impression of a mediocre year and I was resigned to a "petit millésime". And the talk in the region started to alarm me: ripeness levels lower than seen in many years. So, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I checked the first grape must with an old Baumè scale: 14 and ½ degrees! And, quatordzemès, as the old folks exclaim is a wonderful potential grade they think for making an undoubtedly true Moscato di Canelli. Given my assumptions and expectations, it was a small miracle.
At the beginning of August, when the grapes are just beginning veraison, as a rule we stop the sulfur treatment against oidium. We did not notice, however, only a portion of the grapes on each bunch had started to mature; the remainder were still far behind because of a flowering which took place in several stages. So, many of these grapes that were still green were attacked by oidium, but, unusually, they were not cracked, making them look like sad little wood bells: it dried them but left them intact as small grained raisins. There was a kind of natural thinning: the remaining grapes could ripen to perfection, and thanks to the cool weather, conserved their given acids and aromas. The price to pay was a reduction in the overall yield, but because the crop was already so abundant compared to our normal harvests, it’s not a problem.
In summary:
The Moscato is as good as it gets: added to the richness of the sugars, is a beautiful freshness and finesse in perfume, a powerful and energetic structure, but yet suavely elegant. A Moscato in “ Canelli-style” like we have not seen for a while.
The Dolcetto, for having a optimal ripeness level, has an acidity a little higher than usual and is a little less intense in color and richness of structure. Fearing an excess of green tannins and astringency, we did a quick maceration of only ten days. I hope for a fresh and very pleasant wine.
For the other whites, surprisingly good for the early grapes; the Cortese is good, fresh, direct and mineral. We’ll see the result when blended.
With the Barbera I need to say one other thing. It was also very late and in mid-September still had a lot of acidity. Because I HATE the practice of deacidification (to me it's an unexplainable violence) the only thing to do was wait. And we waited, despite two strong downpours at the beginning of October. Finally, only for fear of the weather, we harvested beginning the 8th October. The grapes are really beautiful, great color, intact, pulpy skins, unusually so for this difficult variety. The rain has somewhat lowered the alcohol level without otherwise compromising the structure, the completeness and balance: I think in the end it will be at the level of the formidable 2001.
To finish off, therefore, it’s a great harvest and a top vintage.