2013 will be known as one of the wettest in the Terra Alta region for the last few years. In such a dry region, this rainfall led to great plant development though yields were not very high due to a bad set for the Garnacha Tinta, resulting in a leaf/yield balance that leans heavily towards quality.
The flowering, setting and particularly the veraison indicated a late harvest, albeit a harvest occurring around the previously normal dates, no longer applicable due to harvesting dates getting progressively earlier, not only in this region but in the country’s viticulture in general.
After a rainy spring and early summer, a dry end of July and August and maximum temperatures that were not too high, ripening was slow but gradual, without stomatic closure, and with phenolic ripening continuing slowly but surely. There was a brief period of rain at the end of August which helped the plants to continue developing even further.
Of note in September was the fact that temperatures remained high, between 26°C and 30°C, continuing until the last week of October. This, together with a lack of rain, meant that we could wait for the optimum ripening point without any kind of pressure, obtaining a harvest that stands out for its good ripening, health and balance between the fruit and structure of our wines.
