POGGIO AL TESORO HARVEST DIARY | DIARIO DELLA VENDEMMIA 17 Nature? Let’s learn to listen to it. 2021 was also an unpredictable and challenging year. The severe drought reminded us a lot of 2017, but thanks to our indepth knowledge of the area and bolstered by our past experience, working among the vine rows with dedication and passion, we successfully adopted a number of precautions that safeguarded the integrity and organoleptic qualities of the grapes. Some examples? We irrigated just to the right degree and according to the needs of each individual row. The marked temperature variations in late August and early September preserved acidity and fostered high sugar concentration, creating the potential for high alcohol content, excellent aromaticity and freshness. We intervened to avoid overextraction by working the must slightly, without particular over-emphasis, with short and medium-short macerations. Only in some cases were we able to subject the grapes to longer macerations, which in any case did not exceed 25 days. This is now a formula that distinguishes the style of Poggio al Tesoro wines, with an identity increasingly aimed at elegance. Our ORGANIC garden At Poggio al Tesoro everything is geared towards the vineyards and every decision on the operations to be conducted aims at respecting the ecosystem, without synthetic chemicals that can stress the vineyard, respecting the biodiversity of all its colours, scents and insects. In fact, we have a strong presence of ladybirds, our allies in fighting mealybugs! This respect for all that is natural is guaranteed by the practice of green manuring which, via the sowing of special crops between the rows, ensures the health of the vine by increasing the amount of organic matter, improving the structure of the soil and preserving nitric nitrogen. We have reduced the depth of soil tilling for all activities that risk becoming too invasive if carried out in depth. The microorganisms, fungi and bacteria that are useful to the vine thrive in a surface layer of soil where oxygen exchange is possible. This year we created mixes of green manure focusing on the peculiar aspects of each individual plot, selecting some plants and herbs with the aim of promoting greater biodiversity, introducing poppy, mint and borage for the first time, which also add beautiful brushstrokes of colour to the vineyards. We also brought forward the sowing of green manure to September, noting a great beneficial effect on the vineyards that become full of plants and striking colours. Straw mulching is another natural agronomic operation that distributes the straw obtained from our vineyards in the rows with the aim of safeguarding the intrinsic humidity of the soil and thereby avoiding excessive water evaporation/perspiration. The slow breathing of the rows 2021 seemed to be an even tougher year than 2020, an almost insurmountable challenge. We listened to our vines in an attempt to deal with it, remaining aware and patient, learning from them the value of true rebirth. Mother nature determines the rhythms of time: following nature’s rhythms is essential if we want her to take care of us. The highest quality standards Working the land means understanding and supporting it, and this is the core corporate philosophy for us at Poggio al Tesoro: an ethos that focuses on the health of the vineyard, the health of the grapes and safeguarding the area. This year, Poggio al Tesoro has also received BRCGS Certification which certifies the highest quality standards in safe, quality production, an internationally appreciated recognition of the company’s Best Practices as a production prerequisite for agri-food excellence.
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