Vintage guide: Tuscany 2004

keep

4/5

Weather Conditions

A long, cold winter and a rainy spring in Tuscany delayed the budding and flowering.

The prolonged warm—not hot—summer and unusually hot October brought the grapes to optimum ripeness. Overall, the harvest was delayed by 15-20 days allowing for wonderful ripening and good development of flavour compounds. The conditions produced excellent fruit, which better producers will transform into stellar wine.

‘2004 is a vintage characterised by deep, dark must with bright tonality, outstanding aromas, depth and length,’ says top producer Lamberto Frescobaldi in Tuscany.

Like most Italian regions the vintage was abundant, yielding between 25% more in quantity.