Belguardo Bronzone

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