CASATO PRIME DONNE VINEYARDS (3)
DONATELLA RECOUNTS THE EVOLUTION FROM SUN-SEEKING VITICULTURE TO PROTECTING THE GRAPES FROM EXCESSIVE SUN – PRIMARILY BY USING THE LEAVES AND ALTERING THE SHAPE OF THE VINEYARDS
By Donatella Cinelli Colombini, winedestination
Montalcino Casato Prime Donne Brunello vineyard
The “sun issue” lies at the root of many changes in vineyard cultivation. The lowest wire of the metal trellis system supporting the vine during its growth phase has been raised about 10 cm off the ground to reduce the leaf surface area to 80 cm² per kilogram of grapes. The underlying concept is that active—meaning young—leaves transpire; consequently, the greater their number, the higher the plant’s water requirements. Summer trimming—the practice of cutting back part of the canopy—also differs significantly from the past. Comparing photos of today’s vineyards with those from twenty years ago reveals that, while they once resembled garden hedges, they now look more like wild bushes.
At Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino, grape-growers aim to limit shoot trimming; when it is done, they cut at a height of 2.30 meters from the ground, specifically beyond the 13th internode of the shoots. This allows the canopy to extend and shade the grape clusters, thereby improving photosynthesis and, consequently, grape quality. Vines do not react well to being cut, so timing is crucial to avoid a negative response. If trimming is unavoidable, it is best done just before the onset of intense heat, when the vine’s growth is naturally slowing down.
MANAGING THE LEAVES WITH THE NEW CLIMATE
Foliage management is one of the practices that has changed the most due to the new climate. While leaf removal during the vines’ green-pruning phase remains standard practice, the pre-harvest stripping of leaves must be completely abandoned. In the past, vines were stripped of all leaves above the grape clusters in early September. The result was unsightly vineyards; they looked like plucked chickens hanging from a wire. During the 20th century, the aim of this operation was to capture the September sun and prevent rain from triggering mould growth; today, however, the primary concern is sunburn, so it is far better to keep the grapes protected by foliage right up until the day of the harvest.
VINEYARD LANDSCAPES MARRED BY FENCES
A final note on the vineyard landscape. It is beautiful in spring and summer, and truly magical and wonderful after the harvest, when the leaves change colour. In winter, however, it feels rather like a graveyard. Today, the Tuscan wine hills are marred by fences that make them look like a giant concentration camp. The reason is the wild boars and roe deer that eat the shoots and grapes. In some of my vineyards, they used to cut production in half, but… now the feast is over. This, too, is a change that has occurred over the last twenty years.