The vigour vigour distribution method allows us to harvest at any time in the maturation stage that we consider appropriate. Although we are quite convinced that this is so, this is not easy to implement and we are constantly learning year after year.
The spring in 2005 was very dry and the soil humidity at the time of sprouting was close to withering. We emptied the water ponds because we irrigated in April and May and we maintained the soil at field capacity.
At the beginning of July, due to the lack of rainfall and stored water for irrigation, the vines were relieved by 50%. In mid-August we checked some of them again and we relieved them a bit further.
The rest of the wine harvest could ripe very well and the vines did not experience much stress. They were left with a good stock for the next year since sprouting was very good.
It is important to emphasise that when the vine is provided with enough water (but not in excess) in every stage of the vegetative cycle, it can produce more and with a better quality.
Much has been said about the fact that the vine should experience “some” stress to enable us to make a high quality wine. To me it sounds outrageous. This makes me pose a question: does stress mean a lower amount of water (how much?) that the plant should be supplied with in a stage (when?) of its cycle?
If we do not define the optimum amount of water the plant should have in a given stage of its cycle, this claim, no matter where it comes from, is meaningless. Completely meaningless …
In our winery we continue using the method of strict anaerobiosis for the vinification process.

Wine analytical data:

• alcohol content: 15.0º
• total acidity: 4.70 g/l tart.
• pH: 3.50
• total polyphenols: 65 (DO280)
• tannins: 4.20 g/l

The result is a more elegant wine than that of 2004 but a bit less structured. It has some acidity that gives it freshness.