The 2021 harvest has given us healthy grapes which, once fermented, promise fresh wines and excellent quality.
We would also like to mention that this year has been particularly demanding. It has highlighted the increasingly extreme nature of the weather, forcing us always to keep one eye on the sky and make decisions minute by minute.
The year started out rainy and the rainfall continued in spring. This meant that there was plenty of water at the beginning of budbreak, but also that we had to be extremely vigilant against the possible spread of cryptogamic diseases. Summer arrived at the time of greatest risk for the vines and was one of the hottest and driest of recent times, with temperatures above 40ºC for two weeks. The heat stopped the growth of fungi dead and brought forward the start of the grape harvest. We began with the Chardonnay and Syrah varieties on 13 and 20 August respectively.
Another weather phenomenon loomed in September, with heavy storms forecast. We turned the threat to our advantage, bringing in the grapes from all our Garnacha plots before the rain came. We could leave the long-cycle varieties (Bobal, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tardana) to continue their development in a more relaxed way, as September’s abundant rain counteracted the summer drought.
Our Bobal plots were harvested between 20 and 27 September and the Tardana once again closed the harvest on 1 October.
The year was generous. All the fruit harvested came in healthy, at optimum ripeness, and, despite the heat of July and August, the first tastings reveal wines with freshness that bodes well for a great 2021 vintage.