Spain : 2023, a winning wager!

Ribera del Duero started 2023 with a colder winter than usual, with daily frosts. It was not until the end of March that temperatures began to rise again. There were a few showers in the first fortnight of January and then, very quickly, rain became increasingly scarce. 

Pruning started at the end of March and went on until mid-April. Temperatures were slightly above normal for the time of year, meaning that watering of our planters for the first time was possible. But the extremely cool nights, with temperatures sometimes dipping below zero until the end of April, led to fears of frost damage to our Lirios and Valdetrapa plots. As the buds still had their cottony covering, we were spared in the end. In reality, frost is not unusual on the Spanish plateau, even in May.

Bud-burst began in early May, with temperatures already above normal (+2°C). Although our concerns about spring frosts had dissipated, it was the lack of rainfall and the fear of a major drought that played on our minds. And indeed, an extremely hot and dry summer lay ahead. Because water was in such short supply, some plots began to show stunted growth. At the end of July, very small berries suggested one of the smallest harvests ever. Between May and mid-September, only 22mm of rainfall was recorded. Cryptogamic pressure therefore remained very low, and only four treatments and one dusting were performed for the season, accompanied by yarrow tea.

Just as the drought was threatening to prevent the ripening of the grapes, it (finally) started raining in mid-September, with almost 70mm recorded, saving the vines and the grapes. The vines began to grow again, and the size of the berries increased, while the sugars continued to develop towards the desired levels of ripeness.

We decided to tarry awhile before starting the harvest, so that full phenolic ripeness could occur. However, botrytis started to affect the AOP plots. Because the vines had been good and sturdy throughout the season, we were able to wait more than 2 weeks, and finally began picking our 2023 crop on 25 September. We needed to pick quickly – in 5 days to avoid the rainy periods ahead – and this involved reorganising the harvest teams. And the wager paid off! The wines now have moderate degrees of alcohol and good acidity, so they look very well-balanced despite a particularly sunny and dry year. Even though the harvest was lighter than normal, we were able to isolate each plot for the wine-making process, meaning we could continue with our Sélection Parcellaire work.

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