La Segreta Il Bianco

A harvest with divided results following a particularly cool August and wet September, and producing excellent early varieties with not so good later ones.

Hot August and cool September with some rain followed a winter with sparse rainfall.

Vintage distinguished by winter and spring with little rain, very hot August and cool dry September. ‘Hot’ whites.

Almost perfect vintage for whites with ideal hot bright July and August.

A cooler summer (as in 2004) produced full fruity white wines for slow maturation.

Winter and spring with very little rain. Low production and very good quality in contrast with the rest in Italy. Better white wines than red.

More rain than usual refreshed some of the harvest resulting in whites with great fruit and structure

Cold wet winter and spring were a perfect preparation for the vines, harvest began 15 days late with cool temperate weather.Very fresh whites.

Abundant spring and winter rain perfectly prepared the vineyards for summer and autumn ripening. The surprisingly fresh and cool temperatures of July, August and September achieved the rest, with the grapes arriving at the winery in perfect condition.

The grapes are sound, the yield generally about 10% down, though 20% lower for Merlot, Nero d'Avola and Frappato.This vintage can be described as luminous and sunny. All the sun-loving varieties such as Syrah and Nero d'Avola are of extraordinary richness. The whites are rich, creamy, and well-defined by type of grape.

After two short but intense heatwaves, typical for the period from 20th July to 15th August, it stayed fine, temperatures stabilized, and persistent high pressure presented us with a vintage with no rainfall the first slight shower arrived on 25th September! and with amazing maturation. Forthose who enjoy comparisons, in our reckoning the recent years most similar to 2007, in Sicily, are 1997 and 2001.

The result was a superb vintage, the indigenous varieties are absolutely excellent. White wines thanks to the lack of thermal excesses are full-bodied and well balanced and perfectly aromatic. Grecanico wine is particularly excellent, just as the early varieties Chardonnay and Viogner. Fiano wine will get back to its highest quality, such as the 2001 vintage.

Temperatures have increased markedly since August 20, while maintaining the proper level of humidity and avoiding dehydration and concentration of the fruit. Harvesting grecanico ended the last days of September.

Might 2010 be one of the best vintages out of the previous ten? It is early to say but it is certainly a super vintag.

The climatic indicators of 2011 had forecast, on a global level, a classic winter with precipitations below average, which after the last few winters with their copious rainfalls had us a little worried. But then in the spring the situation changed; copious rain fell even relatively late in the season and prepared the vineyards to perfection. The summer was hot without being excessively so, and the grapes were able to ripen without a flaw.

The harvest was completed on October 12th, earlier than usual. In general, the grapes are extraordinarily healthy thanks to the lack of rainfall near the harvest. The amount is 10% higher compared to the 2011 vintage that was particularly poor, about 5% below average. Outstanding quality was achieved in Noto and Vittoria, excellent for red wines in Menfi and Sambuca and average for white wines.

Beautiful white wines, produced by a cool and bright July and August. A richer Chardonnay without more alcohol. A super-aromatic Fiano and average Grecanico. The reds, Merlot and Cabernet, benefitted from a cooler harvest with a thick dense tannin structure, thanks to extended ripening. Syrah prefers a dry September and is rather less than excellent. Nero d’Avola is fresh and fruity as rarely before.

A great vintage for two perfectly combined reasons: a rainier spring than the average for the past ten years, especially in June, and therefore vines that face the summer stress-free, and a rain-free period of ripening of the grapes with July, August and September completely dry. To say the least, these are the ideal temperatures and quantity of light, with July cooler since 2004; on the contrary, the brightest September (since 2007) and, to best complete the ripening of the reds, the absolute hottest of the series analyzed. The perfect vintage!

A year which enhanced the indigenous varieties, particularly Grecanico, very aromatic, and a glorious Nero d’Avola with fruit, density and compact tannins as never before. Fiano is good, Chardonnay more consistent. Merlot and Syrah at their peak, thanks to the weather. The Cabernet is perhaps slightly rigid.

at Menfi in the south-west had little rainfall and temperatures slightly colder than 2015, followed by a beautiful spring with rain in March and showers generally, which prepared the vines well. The cooler summer with average temperatures between June and September being well below those of 2015 contributed to a fine harvest. The result has been aromatic and balanced white wines with Chardonnay, Grecanico and Grillo peaking in quality, and the big French reds with particularly dense and ample tannins thanks to long slow ripening. Nero d’Avola in particular, thanks also to the lower production, is very aromatic and colourful.

The harvest had been well prepared thanks to a cool spring, light rainfall (more or less 500mm with the last rain at the beginning of April) but well spaced. Ripening was slightly delayed, but the summer was very favourable until the end of July. At the beginning of August an African anticyclone brought three weeks of high temperatures without a pause. South-western Sicily was the region that suffered most of the heat, which was more intense than in the east. Thus it was necessary to bring the first part of the vintage forward and to give special attention to the harvest; the grapes in question were few but good. Some varieties responded well, due to their intrinsic characteristics, to these conditions – particularly Grecanico, Grillo and Syrah – while others needed more careful selection and faster harvesting (Chardonnay and Nero d’Avola). The second part of the vintage, from 20th August onwards, saw a much improved and almost ideal climate which gained us quality and a slower harvest of red grapes, allowing for a more gradual ripening. Thus at Menfi, more powerful reds but not excessively so, rounder whites and intense reds.