Palate
Right from the start, colorful, powerful and well-built red wines were expected. Its richness in tannins requires it to be kept so as to fully appreciate it in its fullness.
Growing Conditions
Half-fig, half-grape. The year 1975 left a slightly bitter taste. With perfect weather conditions, grape skins were thick, with concentrated tannins and sugars. So much so that some grapes were picked before full ripeness – and the hopes for a great vintage were dashed.
1975 came along after three fairly disastrous years. There were high hopes for the upcoming vintage. The year began with a very mild winter. At the end of February, the buds swelled and were ready to flower. The vines began to grow on March 5th, a whole fortnight ahead of a typical year. Spring was equally mild. Flowering commenced on June 9th, under very favorable conditions. July and August were hot and dry. The vines suffered from a lack of water, which suggested, at this time of the year, a grape of great quality. A few showers cooled things down on August 17th and did a lot of good to the vineyard, accelerating the ripening process. September began beautifully, but as from 12th, it rained for 5 consecutive days. We decided to move the harvest forward to September 23rd. Right from the start, colorful, powerful and well-built red wines were expected. Despite the heavy September rains, 1975 was proclaimed as a great vintage, the best since 1961.
