Tenuta Belguardo
Maremma Toscana Rosso Riserva DOC
"Top 100 World Wines" - Wine Spectator
Falstaff 93 Pts | |||
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
Wine Advocate 95 Pts | Falstaff 92 Pts | James Suckling 94 Pts | Wine Spectator 93 Pts |
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