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2009

La Sibilla: Luigi di Meo says that they just finished their harvest on October 14th. A striking characteristic of both the Falanghina and the Piedirosso from Luigi is that they are picked late in a hot climate but finish with very moderate alcohol levels (around 12%). He is very happy with the quality of the fruit this year.

Ettore Germano: Sergio Germano is delighted with the vintage, which was finished on October 10th (apart from about a third of the Riesling, which is still hanging; not sure what the Italian is for Spaetlese). This run of very good or great vintages in Piedmont is striking.

Raffaele Troisi/Vadiaperti: our new producer of Campanian whites (Coda di Volpe, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino) is also very pleased with the harvest, 'I can say that I am very happy with 2009. The wines, which are still fermenting, promise very well in perfume, structure and alcohol.' Raffaele's wines show excellent minerality and individuality; an introductory taste of his 2008s will be arriving in December.

Marco Porello: The flowering of the vines was slightly delayed by a wet and snowy winter and spring, but spring warmth and the abundance of moisture in the ground encouraged rapid growth; by the end of June the season had made up for lost time. The summer heat shortened the phenolic phase and we found ourselves, after a July and August with little rain, picking Arneis at the beginning of September. The grapes were ripe and in perfect condition, with excellent balance between acidity and sugar.

The sugar in the Barbera and Nebbiolo grapes was also ideal at this time, but the plants had not had time to reach phenolic maturity. A brief but substantial rain in September allowed the berries to finish their phenolic ripening, and we were finally able to pick at the normal time with perfect ripeness. In other words the 2009 harvest was divided between an early picking of Arneis and the normal ripening of the red varieties, both with very good results.