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In the Chianti Classico production area, the seasonal trend in 2020 was regular, with a hot summer during the day, but characterized by a strong temperature range between day and night.
The mild spring, without excessive rains but sufficient to ensure a good water supply, allowed the plants to germinate in abundance, and the absence of violent atmospheric phenomena preserved the plants and flowers.
The real turning point towards excellence, however, came from the last weeks of September and October, when the autumn cold returned, with night temperatures particularly below the average of recent years.
The olives then ripened before harvest in ideal conditions, allowing for an excellent phenolic concentration.
The fruits are also perfect from a phytosanitary point of view, with an almost zero incidence of diseases and pathogens.
Harvest number 20 for the PDO has begun in some areas of the appellation, in particular of the Leccino and Frantoio cultivars, while for the other two pillars of green gold, Moraiolo and Correggiolo, it will have to wait until the end of October.
In the mills, however, the scent of this new harvest is already intoxicating, with the characteristic notes of bitter almond and artichoke that distinguish it from any other Tuscan oil.
“While the first batches of DOP oil are certified – declares Gionni Pruneti, president of the Chianti Classico DOP Oil Consortium – we can say that the quality of the 2020 harvest is exceptional. The climatic conditions have allowed us to experience an extremely satisfying harvest as olive growers, tiring yes, due to the climatic conditions that recall the autumns of the 80s, but which from the first presses proves extraordinary: in our mills you can breathe very intense aromas of almond bitter and artichoke, the notes that distinguish our oils from any other production. We will link the memory of this year, ominous in many respects, to the rebirth of nature, which gave the land of the Black Rooster an exceptional year and an oil capable of bringing the uniqueness of our territory to the table “.
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