THIS VINTAGE WAS NOT EASY, BUT WE CAN EXCPECT PLEASANT SURPRISES

MAURO SIRRI’S HARVEST NUMBER 22

Dear Friends,

Life is hard!!!

The 2005 harvest was not easy, but usually dry years alternate with rainy years.

Heavy snowfalls in winter of about 50 cm are very rare in Bertinoro, and seeing our vineyards covered by snow until the second week of February is an unusual picture for us. The generous snowfalls delayed the first works on the land; but the delayed awakening of the plants allowed us to finish all the pruning and binding operations in time. In May and June the vegetative growing was accompanied by some rainfalls. They contributed to produce excess in the vegetation, together with the great water reserves of the winter. We were compelled to assist the greenery: buds were polled and removed. July and August were mild and quite sunny, the diurnal temperatures never exceeded 30°C, which is the ideal temperature for photosynthesis that is essential for the setting and ripening of grapes.

The plant’s vigour exceeded in August and we were forced to thin out and strip some leaves to permit the grapes to absorb all the light and complete their ripening.

Honestly, my expectations were not the best, but…!!!!

The ripening of white grapes, TREBBIANO ALBANA PAGADEBIT and CHARDONNAY, reached with low temperatures, allowed us to obtain wines of good aromatic development, with a good acidity content, which is expected to result in a good development in time. Unexpectedly also red grapes reached a good ripening, with a potential and natural alcohol content over 12% vol. until 14% vol. During the fermentation of the red wines set apart for aging, we removed a part of liquid, in order to improve and obtain the best balance between the must and the skin. For these reasons I am quite satisfied of the quality, not of the costs we had to bear to reach our usual quality standards.

Nevertheless we will try to let the prices unchanged, but most of all we will offer you high quality wines with character. The 2005 vintage will remain in my memories as a very special one for another particular reason. My second daughter “Eugenia” was born this year: she is a smiling little doll and turns me always in a good mood.

And a good mood improves the quality of wine and life !

Best regards

Mauro Sirri