[ Overview]
2019 was a late harvest for both early and late-ripening varieties, in all the wine regions we operate in Northern Greece.
Due to our Sauvignon blanc replanting in Halkidiki, our vineyard in Maronia in Thrace kicked off this year’s harvest with the first Chardonnay grapes picked on 14 August. The closing curtain was in Rapsani; it was on 05 October when we started harvesting at the highest altitude vine parcels (subzone C / 500 – 800m.) of the PDO zone nestled in the foothills of Mount Olympus.
In summary, 2019 harvest has been marked by the following key factors:
- The rainfall during the first two months of the summer (June and the first ten days of July), which was locally-heavy in many cases.
- The local vine growers’ caution and alertness, especially regarding plant protection.
- The unique characteristics of each vineyard (e.g. soil type, inclination).
- The last heavy rainfall (July 10) was followed by a heavy hailstorm in the area of Halkidiki, which destroyed the north side of the vineyards, leaving the south unharmed. The result was that the grapes developed good phenolic maturity and high alcoholic strength due to the reduced production load of at least 50%.
- The drought that followed from July 10 to early September across northern Greece had a double effect on grapes:
– On the one hand, there was no problem with plant protection
– On the other hand, there was a high degree of water stress on the vines, which was mitigated by the application of appropriate cultivation techniques and irrigation where possible.
As always, our TSANTALI team of viticulturists stood by local vine growers during this challenging harvest, by adopting the most suitable cultivation program on a case-by-case basis and ensuring the health and high quality of the grapes.
The 2019 harvest calendar per vineyard follows:
[Halkidiki and Mount Athos]
HALKIDIKI
White varieties / From August 20
- Sauvignon blanc
- Μuscat
- Μalagousia
- Αssyrtiko
- Αthiri
- Roditis
Red varieties / From August 30
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon
ΜΕTOHI CHROMITSA / MOUNT ATHOS
White varieties / From September 2
- Αssyrtiko
- Αthiri
- Roditis
Red varieties / From September 10
- Grenache
- Limnio
- Cabernet Sauvignon
At our vineyards in Agios Pavlos, Halkidiki and Mount Athos, high quality was the trademark of 2019 harvest. From both regions, white and rosé wines stand out for their varietal aromatic intensity and high acidity, while the reds demonstrate a remarkable aromatic concentration and structure.
[ Maronia, Thrace]
White varieties / From August 14
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon blanc
- Muscat and Malagousia
Red varieties / From August 30
- Syrah
- Μavroudi
- Limnio
The alertness of our viticulturists was behind this great year. The efficient planning and the timely response to weather conditions contributed to a lower, yet of highest quality yield. Fresh, crisp, aromatic whites and rosés are expected, while reds are distinguished by their intense fruity character and excellent phenolic ripeness.
[Rapsani, Mount Olympus]
Harvest commenced on September 19 from the vine parcels up to 250 m. altitude (subzone A) and expanded to subzone B (250-500 m) within the following five days. Since September 27 we started picking grapes from the oldest bush vines of the PDO zone grown at field blend parcels of subzone C (highest altitude / 500 – 800 m). Overall, it was a late harvest (by ten days), bringing the grapes back to their normal ripening season. All grapes were healthy with intense fruit, good phenolic maturity and color, and high potential alcοhol degree.
[Νaoussa]
The harvest at our vineyard in the area of Strantza started on September 18 and will be complete on October 10. Xinomavro was characterized by a notable phenolic maturity and deep color, indicators of high concentration. The grapes were healthy with vibrant aromas and satisfactory sugar level.
This report was edited by TSANTALI Viticulturists and Oenologists
Dr George Salpingidis Ilias Antoniadis
Head of Viticulturists Head of Oenologists
Andreas Anthomelidis
Agriculturist / Head of Naoussa and Rapsani vineyards
Stavros Ezanidis
Head of Quality Control
Enologist / Head of Rapsani winery
Head of Tsantali Distillates
For queries, please contact: marketing@tsantali.gr