Silvia Altare from Elio Altare wines shares with us their prosperous Harvest of 2012, and what to expect from the vintage.
"Harvest 2012 started Thursday the 6th September, with some juicy delicious dolcetto grapes. The weather has been pleasant to us, apart from two large hail storms that randomly hit some vineyards; one in late July and one in early August. Other than the storm we have had a regular season.
We spent August cleaning berry by berry from the hit vineyards, like for Cannubi I can promise you I know every single grape there!!
We have finished barbera picking and getting to the end of the nebbiolo. We also did the vineyard Cerretta in Serralunga yesterday, an amazing location for amazing grapes.
The nebbiolo grapes started flowering in the
end of May, and as my dad has taught me, like his father Giovanni taught him - nebbiolo needs more or less 130 days. During which, will allow the plant to go through all the phases of growing to ripening. So there we are, “math is not an opinion” as we say in Italian! The nebbiolo harvest started at the end of last week. It might sound like a joke, but it’s not, you know already in spring when harvest will start.
end of May, and as my dad has taught me, like his father Giovanni taught him - nebbiolo needs more or less 130 days. During which, will allow the plant to go through all the phases of growing to ripening. So there we are, “math is not an opinion” as we say in Italian! The nebbiolo harvest started at the end of last week. It might sound like a joke, but it’s not, you know already in spring when harvest will start.
We are experiencing in general, with all the varieties, lower level of sugar, which will offer us lighter alcohol wines, but still with all the fruitiness and freshness that you need.
The staff at Altare hasn’t changed; we all know each other very well and have been working together for years. We always bet at the beginning of the season who is going to gain more weight, since we all know that we are going to gain at least 3 kg because of my mom’s lunches, in spite of all the exercise that we do!! So far it looks like my boyfriend Massimo is going to be the winner…
Another great Piemonte vintage is on the way!
Saluti da La Morra
Silvia Altare"
