The 2023 Harvest Wrap Up

• • 8 September: It’s the vine’s time to shine. Harvest season is off to a promising start. We cannot wait to discover what gifts this vintage will reveal… From vine to hand, we take nature’s achievements and sublimate them into triumphs of savoir-faire.

• • 14 September: Kissed by the summer sun, our Chardonnay grapes are ready to be transformed into liquid gold, just as they have for over 205 harvest seasons.

• • 20 September: The pursuit of the perfect shade of pink is a true labor of love. Once the vines have gifted us with their precious fruit, our dedicated winemakers meticulously sort the red grapes that will give the radiant, blushing hue to our rosé cuvées.

• • 21 September: A first look, and unforgettable impression. The voyage from vine to glass begins with the extraction and settling, or ‘débourbage’, of precious juice before the cold and slow fermentation process begins under the watchful eye of Florent Nys, chief winemaker.

• 23 September: The journey begins—a voyage from vine, to crate, to oak cask—guided every step of the way by the gentle hands of our vine workers and winemaker.

We cannot wait to discover this year’s flavourful destination.

An abundant and beautiful grape harvest is coming to an end, making 2023 one of the hottest harvests of the century.Mother Earth has given us the gift of abundance. Exceptionally large bunches of grapes, magnificent Chardonnays, despite a slightly more difficult harvest for the Pinots. 2023 could be a surprising vintage…

We want to give a little summary of the harvest in 2023, which has been the shortest ever made at Pares Balta. We started August 09 and ended September 19.

Never in my life – in the 21 vintages I’ve made – have I seen this at home.

And what has been very peculiar has been how the drought has affected the plants under water stress, obviously with high temperatures as well. We have only had one heatwave in August ’23 – 5 days of peak heat and the noral order of ripening has been altered.

The reds came at the same time as the whites. White ones are harvested usually at the beginning, then more came and in the end there has been chaos-but we have successfully done it. We have solved technical and organisational decisions very quickly. and successfully.

We are very happy and we have to say that the greatest peculiarity is that this phenolic maturity in the skins of the red varietals has been an incredible case in which we had good skin maturity but instead, moderate graduation – not a very high graduation. ie. Correct sugars and balanced acidity – which never happens – has gone very well for light red wines.

The most fascinating part of the year is finally with us! The harvest is in full swing and as you walk through the vines on our three properties you will be able to meet our oenologist and his team busy picking and selecting the best bunches. Looking back, 2023 has been a year with extremely varied weather. We started with a warm and dry winter, followed by a spring with an exceptional amount of rain, and then a summer with Saharan temperatures.

The expectations for this year are that the output will be lower than in previous years, but in terms of quality, all the factors are there for some excellent wine to be produced.

You really must be prudent at such a crucial time, so we will wait for the completion of the harvest and to get our precious grapes into the cellar to begin the next stages. Every step will be vital in preserving and getting the best out of the result of a whole year of hard work and passion.

2023 marks an important milestone in our winemaker Leonardo Bellaccini’s career, as he celebrates his 40th harvest. 40 years of passion and dedication for his work and for San Felice. Congratulations to Leonardo from the entire team!

September is the time when grapes have reached their optimal level of ripeness. Grapes are the primary source of sugar, acidity, and flavor compounds needed for winemaking. Winemakers carefully monitor the ripening process, known as veraison, to determine the ideal time to harvest when the grapes have the perfect balance of sugar and acidity.