It’s the end of November – time to take a brief look back at the wine year 2021. Hannes remembers:
“It was exciting again. A cool spring made the vines sprout late, come into bloom late, and so one could already think of an equally late harvest early on. July and August in particular were rainy and cool and we began to doubt whether all varieties would make it to full maturity. But in the end, the last few weeks before the harvest – which are the most important ones for the quality of the wine – were just perfect: warm, sunny days alternated with cool nights, and there was a constant, light north wind, which meant that the sugar levels shot up, the acidity levels were good, and the grapes remained absolutely healthy.”
How did the harvest turn out?
“Everything happened very quickly in the end – almost simultaneously most of the varieties completed their ripening period, and on September 14th we finally started the new harvest with Pinot Grigio. A week later we really got going, first with Pinot Noir and Sauvignon, then all the other varieties, and exactly one month after the first load, on October 14th, we closed this year’s harvest with the last Lagrein.”
What can wine lovers expect from this new vintage?
“In terms of body, the wines of the 2021 vintage are certainly superior to their predecessors. The acidity, which is slightly higher than last year, is nevertheless very well integrated and harmonious, giving the wines salt and freshness. The red wines are already relatively smooth, they benefit from the extra strength that September has given us. Now, of course, we still need some time to let the wines mature, but we can certainly look forward to a very good vintage in 2021.”