Harvest Report : Sicily 2015

There was some concern in early winter but the vineyards benefited from a particularly favorable climate throughout spring and summer. The aromas and flavors are accentuated as a result. The white wines are fresh with the good acidity while the red wines show structure and balanced tannins. These promising disclosures are arriving from the 2015 harvests throughout Sicily: from the smaller islands to the inlands, passing by Etna to the extreme point of the Trinacria. The associate producers of Assovini Sicilia are a guarantee that the work ongoing since mid-August in the vineyards and the wineries will bring forth a vintage particularly enticing, both for autochthonous and international varieties.

The promising scenario is properly summed up by the vast production of the Tasca d’Almerita winery, that covers the provinces of Palermo, Trapani, Catania and Messina. As of today, a 15% increase in production has been estimated, thanks to the satisfactory rainfalls in the spring, followed by a very hot summer with heavy rains during the early days of August. These conditions restored soil moisture which also led to a good ripening of the grapes, particularly for the mid to late varietals like Nero d'Avola, Perricone and Catarratto.

There is promising news from the far south of the island, confirmed by the Sergio Barone winery in Pachino. “The ripening process has been normal and the grapes are totally healthy”, explains owner Sergio Barone. The Muscat has been harvested, with a yield of 70 quintals per hectare. The harvest of the Grillo has begun, which will yield roughly 85 quintals per hectare”. Soon it will be time for the Petit Verdot; from mid-September for the Nero d’Avola and the Cabernet Sauvignon.” The first phase of fermentation was very rapid and overall the vinification process is going very well”. Barone concludes, “Even though this is an arid area and the last substantial rainfall was in March, the cultivation was not compromised and the plants didn’t suffer the heat from mid-July and on, due to the constant heat that was more dry than humid.”

On the slopes of Etna, the production of Carricante and Nerello Mascalese remains stable due to the presence of snow throughout the year. This is the area with the latest harvest in all of Sicily. “The wines of the 2015 vintage are set to be fresh with high acidity, and not excessively high in alcohol”, illustrates Salvatore Rizzuto, oenologist for the Al-Cantara winery. He adds, “The grapes growing on the north-northeastern side, at about 600 meters above sea level, appear to be of high quality, with a gradual ripening and a high probability of a good tannic evolution. If the weather holds, the hope is that the harvest of reds will start in October, to obtain the best results in the winery.”

The production remains similar to previous vintages in the area of Marsala-Trapani, where the grapes are ripening in an ideal vegetative state. “In the vineyards of our winery it’s been possible to delay the harvest thanks to the excellent water content of the grapes”, explains Lorenza Scianna, oenologist for the Fondo Antico winery. She continues, “Thanks to a rainy winter and the absence of the hot, dry Scirocco winds, the plants didn’t suffer during the hottest weeks since they were protected by the high humidity. This determined a delay in the vegetation which improved the quality: during tasting, the grapes were not at all bitter and demonstrated a level of flavor and acidity perfectly aligned with the characteristics of each variety.”

The 2015 harvest is already satisfying expectations in the Terre Sicane (Agrigento), thanks to a mild spring with moderate precipitations and a summer with constant temperatures. The exception was the extreme heat at the beginning of July, but it did not stress the plants. Filippo Buttafuoco, agronomist for the Cantine Settesoli explains, “The yield is 15% higher than last year. We’ve already finished the Chardonnay and Viognier harvests. The Grillo and the Grecanico Dorato harvest continues, while we’re just beginning the harvest of the Nero d’Avola and the Syrah. We expect white wines with good acidity and freshness thanks to a heat that was never excessive and leaving the aromas intact. The reds should be rich in color and structure. “

Excellent harvest conditions are also showing in the territory of Monreale, in western Sicily. Here the temperature range, caused by high daytime temperatures interspersed with cool nights and moisture, required more work in the vineyards, but has rewarded the wineries with very interesting results. “We’ve seen a 30% increase in yield over last year”, says Gregorio De Gregorio, owner of the winery. He continues, “The grapes have reached a good ratio between sugar content and acidity. The whites which have already started the fermentation, such as Chardonnay, Inzolia and Catarratto, have retained both the floral and fruity aromas, and are evolving very harmoniously. The reds are also showing promise, thanks to late rains that protected the plants from the heat, allowing good levels of ripeness and acidity in both the Nero d' Avola and in the Merlot.”

The heat mitigated by the wind from the Tyrrhenian Sea, was a key factor in the excellent year forecasted both in terms of quantity and quality in the Aeolian islands. "Since we started, we have never seen a year like this: little rainfall but at the appropriate moment, and a sunny,  windy climate”, explains Massimo Lentsch, owner of Tenuta di Castellaro on the island of Lipari. He continues, “We have already completed the harvest of Malvasia and are close to having dried all of the grapes used in the production of the sweet wine. The conditions are also perfect for the preparation of Black Corinth: thanks to the right ventilation, the degree of humidity and perfect temperatures, the grapes are left to dry in the sun for 15 days without any problem.”

Finally, expectations for the 2015 vintage are high in Ragusa-Vittoria, where the harvest will begin in the second week of September. "Based on the analysis of the level of ripening and physical inspection of the grapes, we can say that the prospects are very good”, says Massimo Maggio, owner of the Maggio Vini cellar. He points out, “In our area, the vineyards didn’t suffer drought and the rains in early August have guaranteed excellent, gradual ripening."

Once again another vintage from Sicily seems to have all the right elements to bring high-quality wines to the market. The 2015 vintage has unique qualities that will express the best of this varied landscape and the passion of its producers.

Content courtesy of Gheusis