Vintages - 2008 for Valle Reale
Worrisome moments: this was the summary of our 2008. Certainly one of the most difficult years for the San Calisto cru and an uneasy year for the other vineyards located in Popoli. The season, which began normally with somewhat high maximum temperatures, recorded notable changes in temperature between day and night until mid-September. However, there was a sudden drop in the maximum temperatures due to frequent rains (a good 17 days in September). This phenomenon slowed the ripening process, and there was a threat of frost on October 11th, but luckily with no damage. The final week of October was generous, raising temperatures a few degrees again: the patience and courage we demonstrated by waiting for the phenolic maturity of the grapes paid off, allowing us to harvest few, but healthy and ripe grapes, on the morning of November 12th.
In Capestrano, the day-night temperature differences were more subtle, the result of a spring that began slowly and with limited maximum and average temperatures, thanks to the heavy rainfall during May and June. July and August were hot and dry, followed by a September plagued by continuous precipitation. However, the phenomenon did not compromise the quality of the vintage, which in the end gave excellent results, even in terms of quantity. We started the grape harvest on September 16th, a month earlier compared to 2007.
Beginning this year, even the San Calisto cru wines were made traditionally with the spontaneous fermentation.
This was also the year when wine guides and Italian wine magazine discovered our wine and began acknowledging Valle Reale for the commitment and the results obtained; for example, Gambero Rosso gave us our first “3 glasses”.