Ser Lapo

The winter of 2020 was cold with moderate rainfall. After a cool spring with adequate, well-spaced showers, the wide diurnal temperature range over the long hot summer was sufficient to ensure a smooth and problem-free ripening of the grapes. The process was also helped by rains in June and September which reduced water stress, and by an absence of pests or disease.

A season characterised by average temperatures and well-spaced rainfall gave rise to a highly satisfying harvest of top-quality grapes. With their thick skins and well-ripened phenols, these grapes will produce wines which combine fullness and structure with balance and freshness.

The one less positive note was a lower yield due to a few cold nights in early April which affected bud burst in areas where this took place early.

Beginning of the harvest: September 7th

End of the harvest: October 7th

Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 468 mm

Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3608 °C

Evaluation: Very good

The 2019 harvest recalled the great vintages of the 1980s. This was a 'classic' year, with nature and nurture coming together to create something truly exceptional. Winter temperatures were below average and rainfall was low, with unusually warm weather at the end of February. However, stormy squalls through spring and late into summer replenished the water table and made up for the lack of winter rainfall. They also slowed down plant development in the early stages.
The summer was consistently hot, but without extreme temperatures or excessive rainfall. September continued fine, with a significant range in diurnal temperatures.
No pathogens compromised the excellent health of the grapes. Bud fruitfulness was within the norm and the good condition of the foliage showed just how well balanced the plants were in this extremely fine year.
By harvest time the grapes were perfect, thanks to the prevailing climatic conditions and the leaf removal which was carried out in early September. Both these factors contributed to optimal ripening of all grapes across our various production zones.

Beginning of the harvest: September 4th
End of the harvest: October 17th
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 590 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3580 °C
Evaluation: Outstanding

The 2018 vintage was characterised by a dynamic winter, with northern currents in December and February and a mild climate in January, with abundant rainfall, both of snow and rain, which offset the serious water deficit of the previous years. Spring brought about temperatures above the seasonal average together with abundant rainfall. The budding was early but showed no problems.
From 10 June on, temperatures started to rise again and, in the Chianti Classico area, the summer was good with uniform rainfall. July and August were as usual, while September was marked by a series of sunny days with a large temperature range between day and night, which allowed the grapes to reach the correct phenolic and aromatic ripeness. In short, this harvest was very satisfying harvest from a quantitative and, especially, a qualitative point of view.

Beginning of the harvest: September 12th
End of the harvest: October 8th
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 491 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3666 °C
Evaluation: Very good

The 2017 harvest was unparalleled thanks to climatic events which followed one another in an unusual and extraordinary way.
After a frost on 20 April, in spring and summer there was little rainfall and summer temperatures reached high peaks, thus leading to water stress, with a reduced swelling of the grapes and a clear drop in the weight of the bunches in general.
The harvest began well in advance on the earliest vines. As regards Sangiovese, we courageously decided to wait for the September rains, when about 130 mm rain fell in 20 days together with a considerable lowering of the temperature (with minimum values dropping to 5 ° C), which gave a twist to the remaining grapes on the grapevines.
Therefore, the grapes had a heterogeneous quality, with peaks of excellence, a global level well beyond the expectations. 2017 is one of the classic vintages where the achievement of important results requires much experience and a careful management of each vineyard through the adoption of a customised approach to each parcel.

Beginning of the harvest: 21 August
End of the harvest: 28 September
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 257,6 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3638,45 °C
Evaluation: Good

The vintage 2015 was characterized by a rainy winter which resulted in a good supply of water. A mild spring and an hot summer.

Some rainfall in late July and after mid August led to a drop in temperatures, which have established the ideal conditions for the good ripening of the grapes with the accumulation of aromatic substances and polyphenol, ideal to produce a balanced wine, rich in structure, with complex aromas and long aging potential.

Beginning of the harvest: 7/09

End of the harvest: 8/10

Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 228mm

Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3739°C

Evaluation: Very Good / Outstanding

Il 2015 è stato caratterizzato da un inverno piovoso che ha regalato una buona riserva idrica. La primavera mite e l’estate calda senza piogge per un periodo piuttosto prolungato. Il ciclo vegetativo in tutte le sue fasi è avvenuto con un certo anticipo per le medie stagionali.

Piogge alla fine di luglio e dopo la metà di agosto hanno portato a un abbassamento delle temperature, che hanno ristabilito le condizioni ideali per lo sviluppo della vite, e hanno portato a una maturazione ottimale dei grappoli con accumulo di sostanze aromatiche e polifenoli e la possibilità di ottenere vini rossi armonici, ricchi di struttura, dai profumi complessi e da lungo invecchiamento.

Inizio Vendemmia: 7/09

Fine Vendemmia: 8/10

Piogge (Somma delle precipitazioni dal 1/4 al 30/9): 228mm

Indice Temperature (Somma della temperatura media giornaliera dal 1/4 al 30/9): 3739°C

Valutazione: Ottima/Eccellente

The whole winter season time was characterised by temperatures above the average, while the rain level falls within the average. Harvest began on 15 September, with the first 2 weeks marked by minimum temperatures above the average by 3° C and unsettled weather. In the second decade of September the weather changed remarkably, exerting a great impact on the vintage quality, with the onset of a high-pressure system resulting in a strong reduction of the minimum temperatures, an increase in the maximum temperatures as well as a settled and dry weather with no rainfall at all for over 24 days; in October (another temperature anomaly) the average temperatures exceeded the seasonal average values in the Chianti Classico area. These conditions granted grapes with good-excellent ripeness and quality. This vintage characterized by high acidity, refined aromas and stable wines over time.

Beginning of the harvest: 15/09

End of the harvest: 15/10

Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 365mm

Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3,465°C

Evaluation: Poor (first part) - Good / Very good (second part)

L’andamento termico invernale è stato nella media, con giornate dove le temperature sono scese sotto lo zero, il cumulato delle piogge dei primi 7 mesi risulta in netto surplus del 35% rispetto alla media, soprattutto nel mese di luglio dove si sono verificati diversi fenomeni temporaleschi che hanno fatto tenere alta l’attenzione sulla difesa fitosanitaria.

L’accrescimento dei grappoli è stato graduale e distribuito in un periodo adeguato per una maturazione lenta e ideale, che favorisce la sintesi di elementi qualitativi con accumulo della parte polifenolica; questa condizione (alte escursioni termiche tra giorno e notte ) si è verificata soprattutto nei mesi di metà luglio e agosto.

L’annata è stata particolarmente impegnativa dal punto di vista agronomico, comunque la qualità delle uve è stata molto soddisfacente.

Inizio Vendemmia: 26/09

Fine Vendemmia: 12/10

Piogge (Somma delle precipitazioni dal 1/4 al 30/9): 290mm

Indice Temperature (Somma della temperatura media giornaliera dal 1/4 al 30/9): 3582°C

Valutazione: Buona

Anomalous weather during the winter period, where there were very few precipitations with a snowfall in February. The months of June, July and August have been characterized by an almost total absence of rain, with temperatures above the seasonal average. A decisive change in weather in the last week of August and the first seven days of September gave a positive turn to the season; there were a significant drop in temperatures for both minimum and maximum temperatures, allowing the plants to resume "work" in an optimal manner and consequently arrive to the ripening of the grapes in very good conditions. The grapes have not had any problems and have arrived to the cellar in optimum conditions. This vintage from a quantitative point of view, gave us a reduction of about 25% -30% of the grapes compared to the previous years. The agronomical judgment on the vintage is on average good, with peaks of excellence for some of the Sangiovese grapes.

Beginning of the harvest: Aug.29

End of the harvest: Oct.10

Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 369,8 mm

Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3723°C

Evaluation: Very good

Perfect performance until the end of July / first week of August, given the high rainfall during the winter / spring which created excellent water reserves in the soil; the most critical moment was the middle of August to first week of September due to two extreme heat waves. Two providential rainfalls on July 27 and early September allowed the vines to resume their activities of synthesis of metabolites in the berries; further help came after the first week of September, by the sudden lowering of temperature in the evenings thus creating a greater temperature range.

The quality of the grapes from a health point of view was exceptional, given the almost total absence of rot. From the analytical and taste point of view, the grapes were very rich in sugars, but with great differences in the maturation and quality of the grapes is the diversity of "micro-terroirs".

Beginning of the harvest: Aug.25

End of the harvest: Sep.30

Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 181 mm

Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3692°C

Evaluation: Good

The winter period was characterized by temperatures below average with heavy rain and 3 snow storms; spring was cool and wet. From the end of June, the entry of a large area of high pressure brought a long period of sunny and dry weather with peaks of high temperatures in the last week of July which were slightly above the average for the period. The maturation continued throughout the period of September in a very slow and regular manner; the harvest was completed at the end of October (precisely 26/10). The final evaluation is intended to be an exceptional vintage for us, both regarding the quality of the grapes that have a good range of phenolic content and extraction with the potentials of a great vintage for longevity and aging of wines.

Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 488,0 mm (19.2 inches)

Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3421,7°C

Evaluation: Outstanding