Time flies by … It seems like yesterday when we started the vintage of this very special 2020 and we already have to say goodbye. Although September is considered the month of wine, given the high temperatures and the early ripening of our grapes, the harvest is a few weeks early.
The time has come to get down to work and reap the fruit of a whole year of work. For twelve months we take care of our vineyards so that at the time of harvest, we can collect healthy and high quality fruits.
The 2020 harvest leaves us grapes of great quality and an increase in quantity in Muscat, Merlot and Syrah.
During this period, our partners and workers strive to collect the grapes, raw material for the wines to come. The ripening of the fruit varies depending on its variety.
Typically, white varieties reach their sweet spot first, with red grapes being the next to be harvested.
However, in the Baronía we grow a large quantity of Muscat grape, a typical white variety of the Mediterranean characterized by its great aromatic power and high sugar content. This variety has the peculiarity of having a slow maturation so we always close the season with it.
Something that does not always happen, but can happen, is the appearance of new shoots after the harvest. We call this fact second flowering shoots. These bunches are much smaller than their predecessor and can be harvested if a considerable quantity is obtained.
In general they are usually discarded, since in the field, after the harvest, the harvesting periods of other fruit trees begin.
In the coming months, we will observe changes in the plant, such as the color change of the leaf and its subsequent fall, exposing the branches or shoots.
During the development of the campaign, we have enjoyed exhausting working days and great shared moments.
The varieties of La Baronía
For a better organization, we divide the harvest into four groups of grapes that we call:
White: where we collect the varieties of Malmsey, this being the most cultivated of the group, followed by Merseguera, Plana Angort, Subirá and Sémillon Blanc.
Muscat of Alexandria, white too, but it is a variety that, as we have clarified previously, by its peculiarities constitutes a category by itself.
Reds: where we find Tempranillo (being the majority), Tintorera and Garnacha Negra.
And finally we find the French, reds too. This group is mainly made up of Merlot, followed by Syrah.
In general terms, the Baronía concludes with figures similar to those of last year and with a great desire to continue cultivating the quality and personality of our lands and people. If we make a more detailed portrait, in relation to our crown jewel, the Muscat, we closed the year with a very healthy and well-ripened grape, having collected more kilos than the previous year.
Ana Calvet, our director, tells us that in the group of white and red, the quantities are somewhat lower, but of excellent quality; while in French, we have increased the collection.
