The winter was characterized by mild temperatures and average rainfall. The bud break proceeded smoothly, with no cold spells and therefore no late frost damage. Spring was cool and rainy, and May in particular was reminiscent of 2023. Thanks to our vigilance and a generally more stable weather pattern in June compared to the previous year, we were able to nearly completely prevent quality and quantity losses from downy mildew on young grapes.
From mid-June, a hot summer began with consistently high day and night temperatures and no rainfall, which allowed us to carry out only a few sprays. The long-awaited rain came at the end of August. The persistent heat had led to somewhat uneven ripening, especially in the Sangiovese. We have therefore made several harvest passes in each vineyard in order to give all the grapes the optimum ripening time. Occasional rain showers extended the harvest until mid-October, which is relatively late for Brancaia. Overall, the additional effort was fully worthwhile. We achieved a good quantity and quality to produce all our wines as desired.
The harvest began on August 23 with the Merlot for the rosé in Maremma, followed by the Sauvignon Blanc on August 28. We harvested the Merlot in Chianti in the first two weeks of September. The Sangiovese, with all its selections, was harvested from mid-September to the first week of October. We finished the harvest with the Cabernet Sauvignon on October 11 in Chianti and on October 15 in Maremma.
The young wines are characterized by lower alcohol levels than in previous years, as well as elegance and complexity. Overall, we are very satisfied and are looking forward to further developments in the cellar.