2022 Chianti Classico Harvest

The 2022 Chianti Classico harvest looks promising: Despite, global warming, Sangiovese grapes showed their resilience and capacity for adaptation to climate variations. The area's olive groves proved to be hardier than the dry spell that marked this summer. Chianti Classico’s woodlands, widespread non-intensive farming, and rich biodiversity create a solid foundation to withstand extreme weather conditions in the future.

Chianti Classico DOCG Wine – The 2022 Vintage Looks Promising

Due to good weather conditions, the 2022 Chianti Classico vintage looks promising. There was no frost in spring – a time when the risk of damage to new vine shoots is very high – nor any significant hailstorm.

The drought of the summer months did not affect bunch development. Thanks to the spring rains the vines had good reserves of water and mineral nutrients to draw on during the drier months. In addition, the high daytime temperatures dropped at night which enabled regular phenolic development in the Sangiovese grapes.

In mid-August, rainfall guaranteed milder temperatures and a significant additional water supply for optimal ripening. Lastly, the grapes were brought to the cellar in excellent condition: the heat and limited humidity from the early hours of the day kept the bunches very healthy.

Despite global warming, the Sangiovese grapes continue to show their resilience and capacity for adaptation to climate variations. Chianti Classico’s woodlands and widespread non-intensive farming as well as the environment's rich biodiversity create a solid foundation to withstand extreme weather conditions in the future.

“The territory makes the difference” has always been one of our favourite mottos, comments Giovanni Manetti, Chairman of the Consorzio Vino Chianti Classico. “Two thirds of our territory are covered by woodland, 10% are devoted to winegrowing, and 52.5% of the area under vine follow the dictates of organic farming. Wine reflects the territory like a photo negative, and this is why it is so important to preserve its environmental context and landscape, and to tell people about it, also through the label.”

Chianti Classico PDO Olive Oil

The olive groves of the Chianti Classico area, and especially those newly planted in the last ten years, are proving to be stronger and hardier than the prolonged dry spell that marked the summer of 2022.

In fact, after a favourable season for flowering and subsequent fruit set, with modest rainfall well-distributed throughout the spring, and temperatures in line with the average for the month of May, it did not rain again from the first week of June until mid-August. This created the risk of early fall of the still-growing fruit – which actually turned out to be very limited.

On the other hand, the two and a half months of almost total drought, combined with high temperatures, contributed favourably towards preventing attacks by the olive fly, whose reproductive action is known to be inhibited by accumulations of high temperatures over a few days.

Lastly, further significant rainfall from mid-August enabled the olives to grow in size and make up for delayed development caused by the long period of high temperatures and drought. The result is a very good year in both production quantity and olive quality due to the absence of fly attacks, offering further proof that excellent local cultivation skills and growing materials are now undeniable.

The first pressed oils are very interesting, showing main characteristics of very intense olive fruitiness, very fresh grassy aromas, with nuances of aromatic herbs, artichoke and rosemary on the nose; fresh almonds on the palate and a return of the grassy sensations; bitter and spicy with strong intensity and a more lingering piquant note.

“Despite the difficulties, the Chianti Classico olive growers have successfully produced an elegant and complex DOP oil,“ says Gionni Pruneti, Chairman of the Chianti Classico PDO Olive Oil Consortium. “The area’s great olive-growing tradition, the care and attention dedicated to the product, and the innovations that we have been developing in recent years to improve field and mill techniques have played an essential role in every growing zone and even more so in the most complex ones. Harvest time also attracts a great deal of attention from the catering industry, which has shown renewed interest in our DOP oil after the sector’s slowing down over the last two years, due to the pandemic.