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The early summer was quite wet - 100mm of rain in the first 2 weeks of December. But then the sun came out and we had only 8mm rain throughout January. The ground was very dry.
Just as well as a storm appeared in the first week of February leaving 86mm rain. Which the ground absorbed leaving no real damage.
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The Sangiovese for the amphora was picked on March 19. This is very early. But the grapes were very ripe and intense. And in beautiful condition.
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The fruit was de-stemmed and crushed, as it was pumped into the terracotta Amphora. The fermentation lasted several weeks. When finished, the Amphora was closed, and the skins left in the wine for the entire duration in the clay - 12 months.
Low sulphites were used throughout the maturation period, as the skins act as a preservative. Terracotta, being porous, helps develop the characters of the wine. But, unlike oak barrels, does not impart any significant flavour influence. Making wine in an Amphora is an ancient process. It is the original fermentation vessel, and is the most natural way of processing grapes into wine. Enjoying this wine, is like going back in time…
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The wine is dark, with firm but soft tannins. We use the same vines each year for our Amphora wines, and employ the same winemaking techniques. This means that the variables each year are simply an indication of how the vines have responded to that particular summer. We are interested in Terroir and this represents the closest example of a wine reflecting our particular vineyard and that particular summer. And each vintage is different!
