Making wine is like living in a world that’s always in motion. It’s about being present, staying observant, and constantly adapting – and that’s what makes our work so vibrant and ever-changing. Starting in 2025, we’d like to share with you more of what we do: the daily routines, the people who put their hearts and hands into the process, the nature that moves with its own rhythm and connects with our efforts, and the little innovations we try out along the way. From now on, Pippo D’Alessandro, our General Manager, will be the one to take you behind the scenes and share what life is like here at Poggio Antico.
“We’re deep
into pruning season, which is really the first big task of the year. After
finishing up maintenance on the vine supports, we kicked things off on January
8th. Right now, as winter is still hanging on, the vineyard is in its restful
phase, getting ready for the new season to start.
Pruning isn’t
just a technical job – it’s a careful consideration of each vine’s potential.
We want to avoid making overly invasive cuts while giving the vines the right
shape to allow them to thrive. It’s a process that requires patience,
attention, and a deep understanding of the plants – each vine has its own
story, and our vineyard team knows them inside and out.
Every
morning, the team gathers early at the winery, checking the equipment before
heading out to the rows of vines. Under Jacopo’s guidance, everybody gets to
work. It’s a long job, but never a boring one. There’s something deeply
satisfying about watching the vines take shape, knowing that the work we do
today will directly impact the harvest – not only for this year, but for years
to come.
It’s also
indubitably a very creative process: pruning isn’t just about cutting – it’s
about shaping the vine, creating a form that suits its nature, following a set
of rules and protocols. We use both manual secateurs for precise, detailed cuts
and battery-powered shears for bigger jobs, which make the process lighter and
more ergonomic. It's all about working efficiently and keeping our team
comfortable during long hours in the vineyard.
The Climate:
Warmer Than Usual, But Manageable
January was
marked by higher-than-usual average temperatures. It's not the first time we've
had to deal with increasingly warmer weather – particularly, the nighttime lows
were among the highest we've seen in the last six years.
Precipitation
totaled 41mm, spread over 18 days. This weather pattern continues to feel
increasingly out of the ordinary, and it requires us to stay very vigilant.
There are no easy solutions, so we adapt to the ongoing challenge as best we
can.
In the
Cellar: Fermentations Complete, New Experiments Underway
All
fermentations have now finished, and each plot from the 2024 harvest is resting
in its respective oak barrel: 25hl Austrian oak barrels for I Poggi, 25hl
French oak barrels for the Riserva, and 40hl Slavonian oak barrels for the
Brunello, all waiting for the blending in April. As for the Rosso di
Montalcino, we’re using a “mixed” aging approach: part in Slavonian and French
oak barrels to enhance the polyphenolic complexity and softness, and part in
stainless steel to maintain that fresh fruity note.
The Cabernet
Sauvignon and the pressed wines are resting in 225lt French barriques. The
cellar is currently maintaining a steady temperature of 14°C, with weekly
organoleptic and analytical checks.
On a more
active front, the 2024 Rosé (70% in stainless steel, 30% in barriques) has
undergone around six months of aging on fine lees. We’ve just racked it and
blended it back into steel, waiting for the technical timing before bottling,
which should happen soon – by the end of February, or the first week of March
at the latest.
Innovations
in the Vineyard and Cellar
Innovation is
always on the move at Poggio Antico. In the cellar, we’re experimenting with a
new system called AirMixing. This is a technology that could potentially
replace the traditional pump-over and punch-down methods, using jets of air to
gently stir the pomace at the bottom of the fermentation tanks. This could help
reduce maceration times, making the process more delicate while still
extracting the right flavors and textures from the skins.
Events and
News: The Work Continues
Amidst all
the daily tasks, we’re also preparing for some major upcoming events. After the
success at WineParis, we’re already turning our attention to Vinitaly this
April. But before that, we’ll be heading to New York and Chicago to celebrate
the Tre Bicchieri award for our 2019 Brunello from Gambero Rosso. And in
February, we’ll be presenting our wines in the UK – both in London and
Manchester – alongside our importer.
We're also
busy working on some exciting updates for our Wine Club. Our goal is to expand
the offerings for our members, and we’ve got some great things in the works. Stay tuned for more updates soon!"