Since 2018, we have chosen to share our comments and reflections on the various harvests and winemaking processes. We believe it is important to also engage with this aspect of production.
2023
Contrary to 2022, 2023 was characterized by its abundant intermittent rains, especially after April, which increased the plants’ sensitivity and promoted the development of some diseases. Despite these adverse conditions, our careful management and prompt response to the first signs of difficulty allowed us to protect the quality of the grapes, with a more limited production.
In the cellar, we followed our high-quality standards for winemaking, focusing our efforts on a slow fermentation that ensured a perfect conversion of sugars and an excellent extraction of tannins and anthocyanins. This approach allowed us to produce wines that maintain the integrity and expression of our terroir, despite a challenging vintage.
2022
The 2022 vintage was marked by extreme drought, which limited production but not the quality of the grapes. Despite six months without rain and the challenges inherited from the previous year due to hail, the harvest, which took place in early October, revealed grapes with excellent ripeness and high quality.
This natural concentration had positive effects in the cellar, where winemaking techniques enhanced the characteristics of the harvested grapes. We took advantage of these conditions to obtain wines with soft and mature tannins and excellent complexity, highlighting the ability of our vineyards to express the best even in difficult vintages.
2021
The 2021 vintage at Anzivino was marked by climatic challenges, particularly by a series of storms and hail, with a peak at the end of June that compromised up to 90% of the crop in some areas. Despite the initial losses, timely intervention and care for the vines allowed us to obtain excellent quality grapes for the harvest, which began in the first week of October. This situation had a similar effect to natural thinning, concentrating the quality on the surviving grapes and leading to the production of particularly intense and complex wines. This natural thinning allowed us to produce CESARE according to our quality standards.
In this vintage, the sugar and polyphenolic concentration was extraordinary, allowing us optimal winemaking and endowing the wines of this vintage with a particular structure.
2020
The 2020 vintage had a promising start, following a regular course that foretold a season of great potential. However, expectations were tested by an unexpected hailstorm at the end of September, an event that required a quick and strategic response from us.
We made the decision to slightly anticipate the harvest period. This allowed us to safeguard the quality of the grapes before they could suffer further damage. Although the technological ripeness of the grapes was optimal, with an ideal balance of sugars and acidity, there was a slight discrepancy with phenolic and aromatic ripeness, which had not reached their peak.
To overcome this challenge and maximize the expression of the varietal characteristics of the grapes, we opted to extend fermentation at controlled temperatures, accompanied by extended macerations. This approach allowed us to extract the maximum in terms of colors and aromas, ensuring wines of depth and complexity.
A note of hope was our “Molsino” vineyard, a jewel of our viticultural heritage, which miraculously remained unscathed from the hail. This provided us with the opportunity to produce our CESARE, maintaining the high-quality standards we commit to in every vintage.
2019
The 2019 vintage, starting with a spring frost and continuing with excessive precipitation, presented us with unique challenges, with climatic and environmental conditions that tested our resilience and dedication to excellence.
With rigorous selection and meticulous attention in the vineyard, we made the difficult decision not to produce our Gattinara Riserva CESARE DOCG in this vintage. This choice reflects our commitment to reserving the name CESARE only for vintages that meet our high standards of excellence, ensuring that every bottle under this label represents the best of Alto Piemonte.
The 2019 harvest reaffirmed our philosophy that favors quality over quantity, a principle that guides every decision we make, from the vineyard to the cellar. The wines of the 2019 vintage, although more limited in quantity, shine for their aromatic intensity, structure, and aging potential.
2018
The 2018 harvest stood out as one of the most promising of the last two decades, despite the challenges posed by a capricious climate with an unusually rainy summer. The vintage culminated in an abundant and high-quality harvest.
The three ripening stages of the grapes (phenolic, aromatic, and technological) occurred in the same week, allowing us to harvest grapes rich in sugars, anthocyanins, and with tannins matured to the right point.
The winemaking process went smoothly, with complete fermentation that allowed us to best express the distinctive characteristics of our Nebbiolo. Maceration was masterfully managed to extract intense colors, deep aromas, and balanced tannins, resulting in wines that promise extraordinary longevity and complexity. It was the harvest with the highest production of CESARE.
