September, the long-awaited harvest time. And here it is!
The image recurs – our vinegrowers picking the fruit of their vines that have been carefully cared over the last months; the grape into the winery after having passed through the sorting table, then to the press machine and finally those vats filled with the grape juice that will turn into Martín Códax, or Marieta, or Martín Códax Lías or… Every year the same, but how different. And always with a unique result.
And in 2015, how will this harvest be?
In Bodegas Martín Códax the harvest has started. Last week those grapes for our sparkling wines were picked as they require a ripening level lower than that for still wines and the harvest itself started on the 10th of September.
Our vineyard managers estimate a crop 30% bigger than that of the previous year, reaching similar figures to 2013 vintage. Harvest will last three weeks.
As each year, the vintage will be staggered and the grapes will be picked according to the ripening level of each parcel hence starting for those vineyards close the ocean or with a south-exposure. To finish, those parcels located at a higher altitude or those located inland the Salnes Valley.
With the aim of a continuous improvement, a 50% of our parcels are harvested taking into account the vigour of each vineyard thanks to the use of a remote-sensing system. This allows us to turn what at first may seem a weakness into a strength: to manage the variability of the vineyards, selecting the parcels according to homogeneous zones and vigours that will result in grapes of similar profiles. Thus, we obtain a first selection in the vineyard that will not be carried out depending on an only parameter such as the alcoholic content.
Regarding the quality of the grape, Miguel Tubío, the Director of Viticulture in Bodegas Martín Códax, qualifies it as “extraordinary”. The ripening has been very good thanks to the warm spring and an August that let to maintain that acidity typical of the Albariño. “Although the first part of the summer was dry and with high temperatures that could have caused water stress in the vineyards, August counteracted the situation thus causing a slow but optimum ripening. In addition, the weather conditions in September have allowed to finish this process in a very balanced way” says Tubío.
Thus, in this situation, it is expected that the new vintage is very balanced and with moderate alcohol content. Thanks to the climate in summer, 2015 vintage will have a controlled acidity but with a high aromatic intensity and excellent quality.
