Belguardo Tirrenico

After the heavy rains of November and December 2019, 2020 brought mild temperatures and low rainfall from January to July, with the exception of late March when bud fertility was partially set back by sharp drops in temperature. August was hotter than average, with temperatures rising to 37-38°C (98.5-100.5°F) for several days, bringing forward the beginning of the harvest to 27 August. Showers on the 30 and 31 August slowed down the ripening process, allowing the rest of the harvest to proceed at a more regular and orderly pace.

All in all, the weather pattern over the year allowed the grapes to ripen well, leading to a good yield of healthy fruit. There was an excellent concentration of aromatic properties in the white wines; the red wines had good alcohol levels and remarkable colour intensity, thanks in part to considerable diurnal temperature ranges which raised aromatic and polyphenolic levels in the grapes. Overall, the 2020 harvest was high in quality, a result that amply made up for a dip in yield compared to the previous year.

Beginning of the harvest: August 27th

End of the harvest: September 24th

Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 270 mm

Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3815 °C

Evaluation: Very good

The Maremman winter saw temperatures which were slightly above the norm, whereas rainfall was below average. These conditions continued through March and April, slightly slowing plant development in the early stages. The situation changed dramatically later, with one of the rainiest Mays in years. Lower temperatures together with short but heavy rainstorms slowed vine growth down still further.

June and July turned hot, with temperatures well above seasonal averages, rising to 35-36°C (95-97F) for 7-10 consecutive days. No harm was done to the grapes however: by harvest time they were in excellent condition thanks to carefully-gauged production techniques and approaches. This combination of climatic and meteorological events resulted in a harvest which took place at the canonical time of year, unlike previous years when the harvest had been earlier. A large diurnal temperature range over the harvest period allowed grape bunches to grow and mature gradually, leading to optimal development of aromas and wines of extremely high quality.

Beginning of the harvest: September 5th
End of the harvest: October 10th
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 376 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3909 °C
Evaluation: Outstanding

The winter was very anomalous, with rainfall well beyond the average and abundant snowfall in February; later, spring was characterised by temperatures above the seasonal average: April was dry with the maximum temperatures that reached their highest peaks in recent decades.
However, budding, flowering and fruit setting were regular.
In the following months, the weather was unstable with abundant rainfall (especially in April and May) and temperatures above the average of the period, which globally did not affect the health of the grapes.
During the harvest period, the days were warm and bright, often windy, with good temperature range between day and night, which ensured a regular harvest and the optimal ripeness of the grapes, with unique aromatic and polyphenolic features.

Beginning of the harvest: September 3rd
End of the harvest: October 5th
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 331 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3991 °C
Evaluation: Very good

The 2017 vintage will be remembered for its unusual and extraordinary adverse weather conditions.
At the end of 2016 the amount of the rainfall was almost near zero: below 10-15 mm at the end of 2016 and 10 mm at the beginning of 2017, with a climate particularly cold and strong northern winds.
In spring there were mild temperatures and very little rainfall, which favoured the early budding.
May brought an increase in the temperatures above the seasonal averages, which culminated in August with peaks above 40 ° C.
The plants responded positively to these conditions of poor watering, also thanks to the careful and accurate management of the vineyards and the soil, including the use of drip irrigation in the vineyards.
The analyses showed a technological maturation about 10 days earlier the seasonal average, with grapes perfectly healthy.

Beginning of the harvest: 21 August
End of the harvest: 13 September
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 91 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 2348°C
Evaluation: Good

In November and December 2015, the average temperatures in the Maremma were above the seasonal averages (with maximum temperatures exceeding 20° C at the beginning of November.)
Even in the middle of winter the minimum temperatures were 2-3° C, while the maximum ones corresponded to about 15° C.
The rainfall was low throughout the whole period, except for February, where many low-pressure systems lingered on the Tyrrhenian shoreline, bringing around 140mm of water in the soil.
The mild temperatures combined with the rainfall in February anticipated the blossoming, which actually took place on 10 March for the Alicante and 18 March for the Sangiovese grape variety.
A brief cold period in April, with minimum temperatures of 6-8° C, generally dry, facilitated a copious and gradual blossoming of the grapes in the middle of May.
The almost total lack rainfall can be considered the main aspect of the 2016 vintage in the Maremma, which lasted in summer. A hot June was followed by cool July and August with unusual northern winds.
In the Maremma the harvest began on 29 August with Vermentino, followed by Alicante and Syrah at the beginning of September, which were healthy and characterised by extraordinary aromas thanks to the ideal temperature changes between day and night.
After a stop of some days, marked by a rainfall of 30 mm rain on 15 September - which helped the hydration of the grapes - Cabernet Franc was harvested together with some Cabernet Sauvignon varieties coming from a skeletal, poor and stony soil.
Another stop enabled a perfect phenolic ripening of the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese grapes.
The harvest ended on 10 October with the last Sangiovese grapes to be used for Morellino di Scansano.

The 2015 vintage started with a mild and rainy winter characterised by average temperatures ranging between 7° and 10° C. Temperatures remarkably dropped at the end of the year reaching minimum temperatures of -4 ° C, regarded as "unsual" in the Tuscan Maremma. This frost combined with the abundant rainfall in the November - December 2014 period (390 mm) improved the structure of the soil, making it more resistant to the summer temperatures and drought.
The end of the winter and the 2015 spring were cool but not rainy (spring rainfall of about 100 mm.)
The blossoming of the early varieties and Sangiovese occurred between 26 and 28 March in a slight delay compared to the previous years; this delay was further sharpened by a cool early April with temperatures slightly above 0° C, fortunately without any frostbites on young blossoms.
The blossoming of the bunches took place in the middle of May, which was a very pleasant period, with temperatures sometimes reaching 30° C and then dropping after the onset of air flows in Tuscany coming from Northern Europe without undermining the delicate fruit setting step.
The summer in the Maremma yielded temperatures well above the seasonal averages, often exceeding 30° C with peaks of 37.5 ° C in July and August.
Near the harvest, between the middle and the end of August, rainfall of 60 mm helped the vines recover a proper metabolic functioning and fully ripen.
A high-pressure system lingered on Tuscany in September, culminating with a gradual and nice harvest.
The harvest began on 3 September with Vermentino, followed by other early varieties - such as Alicante and Syrah after one week.
The peak of the harvest was reached between 28 and 30 September with the Sangiovese varieties destined intended for the production of a Morellino likely to be one of the best vintages in the last years.
The harvest ended in the first decade of October with the best Cabernet Sauvignon varieties.

Also in the region of Maremma the weather of the winter period was characterised by thermal anomaly, with average temperatures above the usual ones for this season and too much rain from the month of November onwards. This situation of extreme weather variability with widespread rains and temperatures below the seasonal average remained even for the whole period of summer.
The harvest began on September 10th with healthy Merlot and Alicante, but with sugar and colour concentration levels below the historical average. Even the Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon had the same characteristics. Instead there was a much better situation for the grapes of Vermentino and Syrah, which were perfectly ripe and had an intense flavour profile, which gave the must a very complex aromatic level with an excellent freshness and high acidity. The harvest was completed on October 13 with the last grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Begin of harvest: 10 September
End of harvest: 13 October
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 609 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3711°C
Evaluation: Good/Excellent (premature grapes as Vermentino and Syrah) - Sufficient (other red grapes)