Quality and quantity. It is the winning combination that seems to characterize the 2024 harvest, a harvest that is giving us many emotions and many challenges. The rains that have been following in recent days require timeliness and a lot of attention: it’s time to reap the fruits of an entire year of hard work… nothing can be left to chance!
Year after year, the harvest presents us new challenges, requiring accurate assessments and increasingly targeted interventions. And if, on the one hand, we find ourselves celebrating father Gian Piero’s fiftieth harvest, on the other we chase the rhythms and times of mother nature. The rains of these last few weeks require timely interventions and great attention in evaluating and selecting the bunches. How is the 2024 harvest going at Agricola Marrone? Read on to find out!
According to the opinion of our most expert collaborators, the 2024 harvest can be defined as an “old-fashioned harvest”: anomalous when compared to those of the last fifteen years, perfectly regular when observed by eyes who have been doing this job for many many years.
The intermittent rains of the last few weeks and the increasing humidity related to them require us to continuously thin out and pay particular attention to the state of the bunches of the different varieties: at the first sign of possible rot, we must proceed with a timely harvest. Fortunately, thanks to the excellent work carried out in the vineyard throughout the year, the plants are responding optimally. Healthy plants, healthy grapes.
What surprises us most about this 2024 harvest is the enormous differences we are experiencing – in terms of grape ripening, condition of the fruit, timing and method of harvesting – depending on the variety and the area.
It is clear why, more than ever this year, it was spring that dictated the cards of the wine year. After two years of drought, the abundant rains that we received until June reinvigorated the vineyards – especially the younger ones – and contributed to a general improvement in the conditions of the plants. Despite concerns related to the possible proliferation of fungal diseases (downy mildew in particular), the heat of late July and August allowed for excellent ripening of the grapes. Quantity and quality: this is what we expect from this vintage.
We have concluded the harvest of the whites: Arneis, Chardonnay and Moscato. Abundant harvest, which we attempted to contain and regulate through three thinnings, to prevent the remaining bunches from growing excessively, with the further risk of them encountering problems related to excessive humidity. The bunches with the thicker skins were used for maceration in the press, revealing decidedly interesting aromas and structures. The preliminary tasting phase is also interesting: strong and full flavours, capable of differing considerably despite being from the same vineyard.
As for the reds, Dolcetto has a truly wonderful color and is moving towards total maturation. The Barbera was deliberately left behind: we noticed solid resistance to rain and humidity, the plant, leaves and skins are healthy and colourful. Finally, as regards the Nebbiolo, we plan to start harvesting in about twenty days. Although it is early to launch into easy evaluations, and despite being aware that the grapes cannot be judged until they enter the cellar, we are optimistic: the abundance of spring rains, the not excessively scorching heat of the summer and the climate of the latter days – characterized by good temperature variations – give us hope.