Tenuta delle Terre Nere
13 July 2017

2015 was a rollercoaster vintage at Terre Nere that, in the end, proved to be one hell of a ride. A small crop thanks to early hail in June and rigorous selections at the very end of the harvest, yet stunning quality. A very different vintage to the powerful and concentrated 2014s but in our book, even better. The 2015s have a finesse and sparkle that sets them apart from any other Terre Nere vintage to date.

After hail in June reduced the crop, a heatwave arrived in July only to be tempered by end of the month. This began an up and down pattern that continued until the very end of harvest: August heat followed by early September storms only for the mercury to rise again to 35 degrees rains, unusual for the time of year even by Sicilian standards. More rain followed at the end of September and the beginning of October only for a Sirocco wind to blow in and increase temperatures again in the middle of the month and at the tail-end of harvest . The vineyard team had to be on their mettle, constant canopy thinning and grape selection were vital to retain the health of the ripening bunches. They certainly rose to the challenge, coming through it all to produce one of their greatest ever vintages.