The Vermentino with capital “V”!
Winery Belguardo | Winery location Loc. Montebottigli - Comune di Grosseto | Grape varieties 100% Vermentino: 2 clones from Corse + 2 from Sardinia | Alcohol 12.50% |
Total acidity 6.12% | Vineyards location 90 m (295 ft) a.s.l.; S-SW exp | Soil Medium texture, prevalence of Arenaria and highly rocky | Training system Guyot |
Nr. of vines per hectare 6.600 | Harvest Hand picked August 31st | Vinification 50% on the skins for 6 months, mainly in amphora; 50% "sur lies" in stainless steel, with weekly "batonnage" | Bottling Semptember 2023 |
Available on the market May 2024 | Production 15.700 bottles | Formats 750 ml - 1,5 lt | First vintage 2011 |
Key descriptors Sunny, very savory, mineral, with a muscular and pleasant structure, typical of the varietal. A definitely long-lasting wine.. | Food pairing To be served at a temperature not necessarily cold, it's a wine that well support "red wine" dishes: fish and white meat savory dishes, risotto, porcini mushrooms... |
James Suckling 93 Pts | Concorso Enologico Internazionale “Vermentino” Medaglia d'oro |
As for the previous autumn months, 2022 opened with a winter that proved particularly lacking in rainfall, and was characterised by the presence of prolonged periods dominated by high pressure systems, and significant temperature fluctuations without, however, periods of intense cold.
During the months of March / April, there were intermittent rainfalls in the Maremma area, which favoured the regular phenological growth of the vines, followed by a period of great vigour and abundant flowering, which was favoured by the warm and dry climate, and resulted in good fruit-setting.
Summertime temperatures were recorded as early as May, and the summer months were torrid, all of which was accompanied by a lack of rainfall; these conditions, certainly unfavourable in some respects, from a plant-protection point of view resulted in limited pathogenic attacks on the vines, easily managed by appropriate measures in the vineyard.
The dry climate resulted in a moderate growth of the berries, with some water stress localised in the drier areas.
The rainfalls in mid-August were beneficial, substantially re-aligning ripening times, which peaked a few days earlier than the previous year.
The 2022 harvest produced perfectly healthy grapes, with a higher sugar content than the average for recent years. The small berries and the concentration reached during the summer months point to a harvest suited to the production of well-structured, long-aging red wines.
Beginning of the harvest: August 22nd, 2022
End of the harvest: September 28th, 2022
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 449 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 4.113 °C
Evaluation: Good
Winery Belguardo | Winery location Loc. Montebottigli - Comune di Grosseto | Grape varieties 100% Vermentino: 2 clones from Corse + 2 from Sardinia | Alcohol 12.75% |
Total acidity 6.30% | Vineyards location 90 m (295 ft) a.s.l.; S-SW exp | Soil Medium texture, prevalence of Arenaria and highly rocky | Training system Guyot |
Nr. of vines per hectare 6.600 | Harvest Hand picked September 16th | Vinification 50% on the skins for 6 months, mainly in amphora; 50% "sur lies" in stainless steel, with weekly "batonnage" | Bottling July 2022 |
Available on the market May 2023 | Production 15.700 bottles | Formats 750 ml - 1,5 lt | First vintage 2011 |
Key descriptors Sunny, very savory, mineral, with a muscular and pleasant structure, typical of the varietal. A definitely long-lasting wine.. | Food pairing To be served at a temperature not necessarily cold, it's a wine that well support "red wine" dishes: fish and white meat savory dishes, risotto, porcini mushrooms... |
Vermentino Grand Prix Finalist |
The 2021 season opened on the heels of an autumn and winter characterized by typical temperatures and good rainfall, which guaranteed the build-up of an abundant water supply.
A spring cold snap, with temperatures already below the national average, led to a sudden drop in temperatures in April and the freezes of April 7 and 8. This event damaged some of the already well-developed buds, thus limiting future fruiting, in particular of Sangiovese, Vermentino and Syrah. In terms of production, there were differences from zone to zone and also from vineyard to vineyard. In some, the damage was more apparent while in others, the losses were partially reabsorbed. In any case, from May forward, the vines bounced back with favorable bud development and excellent flowering in a generally dry climate.
In July and August, along with a rise in temperatures and an extraordinary heat wave, the vineyards were once again put to the test. Following an early veraison (signs showing already between late July and early August), on August 24th, rainfall finally arrived, dropping 28 mm of relief, which gave a boost to the vines, re-establishing a favorable diurnal temperature variation and ensuring optimal conditions for final ripening.
Despite the fluctuations in climate, the grapes were healthy and in excellent phytosanitary condition. Early analytical findings indicate a wine with great concentrations, high polyphenolic values on the red grapes and medium-high alcohol content, but with a good sugars-to-acidity ratio.
Beginning of the harvest: August 28th, 2021
End of the harvest: September 23rd, 2021
Rainfalls (sum of rainfall between April 1st and September 30th): 106 mm
Temperature Index (sum of average daily temperatures from April 1st to September 30th): 3.937 °C
Evaluation: Very good
Winery Belguardo |
Winery location Loc. Montebottigli - Commune of Grosseto |
Grape varieties Vermentino |
Alcohol 13.00% |
Total acidity 6.00% |
Vineyards location 30 - 50 m (98 - 165 ft) a.s.l.; S-SW exp. |
Soil Soft and sandy, mainly Sandstone |
Training system Guyot |
Nr. of vines per hectar 6.600 plants |
Harvest Hand picked from September 8th |
Vinification 20%, on the skins in amphora for 9 months; 30%, on the skins in stainless steel for 9 months; 50%, "sur lies" in stainless steel
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Bottling September 2021 |
Available on the market February 2022 |
Production 16.000 bottles |
Formats 750 ml - 1,5 lt |
First vintage 2011 |
Key description Sunny, very savory, mineral, with a muscular and pleasant structure, typical of the varietal. A definitely long-lasting wine. |
Food pairing To be served at a temperature not necessarily cold, it's a wine that well support "red wine" dishes: fish and white meat savory dishes, risotto, porcini mushrooms… |
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Wine Advocate 94 Pts |
Winescritic.com 93 Pts |
James Suckling 92 Pts |
Falstaff 92 Pts |
Vini Buoni d'Italia 4 Stars |
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
Winery Belguardo | Winery location Maremma, Toscana | Grape varieties Vermentino | Alcohol 13.39% |
Total Acidity 6.02% | Vineyards location 30 - 50 (98 - 65 ft)m a.s.l.; S-SW exp- | Soil Soft and sandy, mainly Sandstone | Training system Guyot |
Nr. of vines per hectar 6.600 plants | Harvest Hand picked September 13th | Vinification 20% on the skins in amphora for 9 months; 30%, on the skins in stainless steel for 9 months; 50%, "sur lies" in stainless steel | Bottling September 2020 |
Available on the market February 2021 | Production 13.000 Bottles | Formats 750 ml - 1,5 lt - 3 lt | First vintage 2011 |
Key descriptors Sunny, very savory, mineral, witha muscolar and pleasant structure, typical of the varietal. | Food pairing It's a wine that well support "red wine" dishes: fish and white meat savory dishes, risotto, porcini mushrooms... |
Winescritic.com 95 Pts |
Falstaff 92 Pts |
I Migliori Vini Italiani 91 Pts |
James Suckling 90 Pts |
Vini Buoni d'Italia 4 Stars |
The Maremman winter saw temperatures which were slightly above the norm, whereas rainfall was below average. These conditions continued through March and April, slightly slowing plant development in the early stages. The situation changed dramatically later, with one of the rainiest Mays in years. Lower temperatures together with short but heavy rainstorms slowed vine growth down still further.
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
Winery Belguardo |
Winery location Loc. Montebottigli - Commune of Grosseto |
Grape varieties Vermentino |
Alcohol 12.50% |
Total acidity 5.90% |
Vineyards location 30 - 50 m (98 - 165 ft) a.s.l.; S-SW exp. |
Soil Soft and sandy, mainly Sandstone |
Training system Guyot |
Nr. of vines per hectar 6.600 plants |
Harvest Hand picked from September 21st |
Vinification 20% of the grapes, fermentation and ageing on the lees in amphora for 4 months
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Fermentation temperature 16°C |
Ageing 30% of the grapes, 4 months skin maceration |
Bottling April 2019 |
Available on the market June 2019 |
Production 10.800 bottles |
Formats 750 ml - 1,5 lt - 3 lt |
First vintage 2011 |
Key description Sunny, very savory, mineral, with a muscular structure and a pleasant bitter finish, typical of the varietal. |
Food pairing Fish and white meat savory dishes, risotto, porcini mushrooms. |
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