| Dear Gagliole friends, |
| Those of you who are familiar with Italian summers know that in Tuscany the heat can be implacable for days on end. It was precisely like this last summer and those conditions were made worse by the almost complete lack of rainfall; water that we had been urgently looking for since the previous winter. And so, when the actual harvest was upon us, the situation seemed dire indeed. In the words of our winemaker Giulio Carmassi, “When in early September we found grapes with high sugar contents but low Phenollevels- indicators not at all suitable for our quality standards- we decided to take the risk of leaving the grapes on the vines to ripen further. Our bet paid off in the first week of September, when the much-awaited rains arrived, plentiful but not too heavy. So the soil was re-hydrated and the vine metabolisms showed life again, which allowed the Sangiovese grapes to reach full ripeness. We started the harvest on 20 September and brought it to an end on 10 October. A first look at the data shows that quality is high also thanks to the very rigorous quality-selection we did both in the vineyard and on the sorting tables. This, however, meant a significant drop in quantity, which we estimate to be around 20%; eventhough that is a lot, I think we can be satisfied by the overall results.” |
 |
| Hardly was the grape harvest concluded, it was the turn of the olives. We process them in our own estate press —small in size but technically up-to-date–, which ensures that our oliveoil is not mixed with that of anyone else and that our EXTRAVIRGIN OLIVE OIL is of uncompromising quality and genuineness. An extremely low level of fattyacid, significantly lower than required by law, has always been one of our hallmarks.
Ar present, all our grapes are processed in our two winecellars, in Castellina and in Panzano in Chianti. However, it is now certain that this will be the semi- final harvest for those facilities, since the constructionwork has finally begun on the NEW CELLAR, which will allow us to bring together all our production operations in the Conca d’Oro of Panzano. Not only will this ample new space be equipped with all the cutting-edge technology that will help us maintain the absolutely highest quality standards for our wines, but the building will be perfectly integrated into its natural surroundings, preserving the beauty of the site. Here attached is a drawing that will give you an idea of how the new structure will look; most of it is hidden from view, because it is built into the hill, while the visible façade will be faced with Chianti stones. |
 |
| So, all in all, there are a lot of fascinating things happening here at Gagliole. Another piece of good news is that our wines have received some great accolades in the press and in the market. We want to mention in particular two wines that we have not mentioned in a while. The 2015 vintage of our RUBIOLO, a Chianti Classico that, in our opinion, perfectly interprets the fragrant fruit and discreet acidity typical of Sangiovese, was awarded 90+/100 by Monica Larner in the Wine Advocate and 92/100 by James Suckling. Another small jewel of ours is VALLETTA. Monica Larner gave 93/100 to the 2015 vintage, with the comment “it is a deep and velvety wine with a bright load of dark fruit intensity. The Merlot (from Panzano in Chianti) makes a big contribution to the lasting effects of this wine. That grape—especially in a warm vintage like 2015—adds richness and a velvety nature. The bouquet is redolent of dark fruit that is carefully intermingled with sweet spice. The Sangiovese (from Castellina in Chianti) contributes to the wine’s fresh and bright mouthfeel.”
Wine Advocate has always been a good friend of Gagliole, which is confirmed by our participation in the ZURICH MATTER OF TASTE at the Dolder Grand Hotel, 24/5 February 2018. Wine Advocate, founded by Robert Parker, is the event organiser, and this second edition will showcase a group of world renowned producers, selected on the basis of scores given to their wines. We will be there with the complete portfolio of our reds: Rubiolo 2015, Valletta 2015, Gagliole 2014, and Pecchia 2013. We very much hope that all our Zurich friends—and many others!—will stop by and taste with us at this prestigious event!
Our warmest wishes,
Monika & Thomas Bär and the Gagliole Team! |
|
|
