Since last Saturday, 37 grape pickers have been working in the vineyards of Montonale, in the Lugana area. They have the task of picking up the grapes in the 30 hectares, owned by the “young but historical” reality from Lake Garda, on the forefront of wine news with its Orestilla, the world's best white wine for Decanter in 2017.
“The season in the vineyard started 2 weeks late, due to the abundant spring rains” explains Valentino Girelli, agronomist and co-owner of Montonale, with scissors in hand. “With the hot days in July and August we have recovered, and now the maturation is perfect”.
We expect a very different vintage from 2015 and 2017, where alcohol was predominant. Vintage 2019 promises a good balance in terms of acidity, alcohol content and phenological maturation. We worked on the balance in the vineyards with severe thinning and flaking. By doing this, we protect quality and quantity, while safeguarding also the vine” continues Valentino.
His brother Roberto Girelli, enologist and co-owner, adds from the cellar: “The harvest begun a week later than last year. Luckily, the grapes could complete the ripening process thanks to the substantial temperature changes, and moreover we are bringing them to the cellar with cooler temperatures. This is essential for the aroma bouquet in the grapes, especially for the Turbiana: the saltiness and mineral features are intensified and thanks to them Lugana is known amongst the Italian wine panorama as a long aging white wine”.
