spanish wines 2012 harwest

7/30/2019 Spanish Wines 2012 Harwest

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Spain’s 2012 harvest:

Indigenous varieties show strength in a year dominated by low rainfall

An exceptionally dry year across Spain has resulted in a modest crop often compensatedby good potential quality. The exception is Galicia where the influence of the Atlantic wasparticularly strong presenting a different set of challenges for regions such as Rías Baixasand Ribeiro.

Typically cooler weather came in September and, finally, rain too, which improved qualityprospects for many and often brought yields up to more acceptable levels. In most regionsthe harvest both started early to achieve as much freshness as possible, notably for whitevarieties, and ended well into the autumn to allow all-important red varieties to reachoptimum maturity.

Thankfully Spain has a trump card to play in a year such as 2012: indigenous varieties. Across the regions there are numerous examples of how local grapes withstood thechallenging conditions and produced healthy fruit. Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cariñena,Monastrell, Bobal and Prieto Picudo stand out in this respect for reds and Verdejo forwhites.

Older vineyards and those located in cooler areas also generally fared better this year aswell as irrigated vineyards. Irrigation is increasingly available in regions such as Navarra,Rueda and Cariñena.

The total crop is likely to be modest: Spain’s ministry of Agriculture and the Environment

(MAGRAMA) forecasts 35.6m/hl, 7.8% less than 2011.

The following analysis of Spain’s harvest is divided into regional sections:

1. Galicia: Rías Baixas, Ribeiro, Monterrei, Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras

2. The Duero Valley the north-west including Bierzo, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro,Cigales and Tierra de León

3. The north: Rioja and Navarra

4. Aragón: Campo de Borja, Cariñena, Calatayud and Somontano

5. North-central regions: La Mancha and Vinos de Madrid

6. Catalonia, Majorca and the Levant

7. The south: Jerez



1. Galicia

DO Rías BaixasDO Rías BaixasDO Rías BaixasDO Rías Baixas

Adverse weather in the early growing period challenged growers in coastal Rías Baixas:

March was dry and warm; April was humid, cold and generally changeable then Junebrought lower temperatures than usual and a lot of rain which resulted in widespreadcoulure or fruit shatter.

Although conditions improved from that point onwards, the damage had already been donein terms of the final yield. Early expectations were for 50% less than 2011 but even thatproved to be overly optimistic. Harvest took place a little later than usual as growers heldout for quality if not quantity.

Ruben Taboas at Adega Ruben says: “Our yields were low but because of the small cropand good weather at the final stages of ripening the wines are very structured andbalanced.”

2012 harvest in Rías Baixas: Around 17.4m/kg – substantially lower than 41.8m/kg in 2011(it should be noted that both the 2010 and 2011 harvests were very abundant crops in theregion).

DODODODO RibeiroRibeiroRibeiroRibeiro

Ribeiro, located to the east of Rías Baixas, has a climate combining both Atlantic andMediterranean influences. This year the Atlantic character dominated as can be seen in theoutcome of the harvest which, as in the case of Rías Baixas, was very modest due to

coulure and poor fruit set.On the other hand, the ripening period saw plenty of sun and a more favourable temperaturevariation from day to night (averaging over 20˚C). This resulted in grapes with goodfreshness, ripeness and aromas with modest alcohol levels.

The vintage started, gradually, at the start of September with earlier ripening Godello and Albariño grapes followed by Torrontés, Lado and Treixadura and finally Loureira. Mostgrapes were picked between Sept 28th and October 7th, a little later than usual due to theslower rate of ripening across all varieties.

2012 harvest in Ribeiro: 12.8m/kg (11.8m/kg white varieties/1m/kg red), 45% down on 2011and 20% lower than an average year.

DO Ribeira SacraDO Ribeira SacraDO Ribeira SacraDO Ribeira Sacra

At Dominio do Bibei in Ribeira Sacra, David Bustos says: “There was very little rain in thespring and summer was extremely dry. This is not the usual pattern in the region and vinedevelopment slowed as a result pushing harvest dates back.”

He reports low yields but “good ripeness in the grapes [reds Mencía, Brancellao, Mouratón,Garnacha Tintorera and Sousón and typical Galician whites] and we expect good, long

flavours in the wines thanks to complete phenolic ripeness.” Acidity levels were also goodacross all varietals including Mencía - an unusual outcome - and this bodes well for winesdestined for longer ageing.



2012 harvest in Ribeira Sacra: 5.5m/kg (7m/kg in 2011, 5.6m/kg in 2010 and 5.3m/kg in2009)

DO MDO MDO MDO Monterreionterreionterreionterrei

Fine spring weather during flowering and good weather leading up to the vintage resulted ina more generous harvest for Monterrei. White grapes represented 1.8m kg this year themain varieties being Godello, Treixadura, Dona Blanca and Albariño. Despite being thesmallest of Galicia’s DO regions Monterrei is expanding: 27 new growers were incorporatedthis year.

2012 harvest in Monterrei: 2.7m/kg, the highest crop in the region’s history and up from2.2m/kg in 2011.

DO ValdeorrasDO ValdeorrasDO ValdeorrasDO Valdeorras

Rain during the flowering period resulted in poor fruit set and is largely responsible for amodest crop in Valdeorras this year and much lower yields of Godello and Mencía. Augustwas especially dry and slowed ripening but vines caught up thanks to rain in September.

2012 harvest in DO Valdeorras: 5.4m/kg; 25% down on 2011. Key grape varieties: Godello1.7m/kg; Mencía 1.7m/kg; Garnacha Tintorera 994,000kg

2. The Duero Valley and the north-west

DO BierzoDO BierzoDO BierzoDO Bierzo

As a result of the dry conditions, vine development proceeded at a much slower pacecompared to the previous year in Bierzo and the vintage started around two weeks laterthan usual. This year’s crop is significantly lower in yield compared to the abundant crop of2011 but just 5.5% less than an average year.

The region’s flagship red – Mencía – and the white variety Godello benefited from the slower

ripening process which favoured a good balance between alcohol, acidity and pH levels.The harvest was also extended by autumn rains with picking resuming when the conditionswere dry enough to ensure that fruit was in good condition.

Expect Mencía wines with strong varietal identity, excellent colour and fruit profile andGodello wines with plenty of character.

For Ricardo Palacios (Descendientes de J. Palacios) the weather was erratic throughout thegrowing season not that this is unusual in Bierzo, he says. The harvest was particularlychallenging and long but he’s pleased with the outcome.

He adds: “It was difficult to decide when to harvest and ripeness was uneven. But I’mpleased with the wines; they are elegant, not too rich and Atlantic in style – veryrepresentative of the region - and slightly lower in alcohol that the 2011 vintage (13.5-14˚ vs14.5-15˚ in 2011). The style could be similar to 2010 and 2001.”



In view of the fresher style from this harvest Palacios foresees a light oaking regime – he’slikely to opt for older barrels and larger barrels (500l) for the new wines.

2012 harvest in Bierzo: 15m/kg; (Mencía 10m/kg; Godello .6m/kg)

DO CigalesDO CigalesDO CigalesDO Cigales

Producers in Cigales are upbeat about quality and quantity following a surprising outcometo this harvest. In early September expectations had been for yields 15% down on 2011 butmuch needed autumn rains enabled grapes to complete their ripening process without jeopardising quality and yields turned out to be more generous.

“This year we can say that the grapes picked in this DO are practically organic as we’vebeen able to reduce the use of sulphur thanks to the low probability and absence of anydisease threatening the vines,” said Agueda del Val, technical director at the region’sConsejo Regulador.

2012 harvest in Cigales: 8.1 m/kg, 8% more than 2011. DO area: 2,158ha/ 35 bodegas. Redwines dominate production and Tempranillo is the main variety for both red and rosé wines.White varieties include Verdejo and Albillo.

DODODODO RuedaRuedaRuedaRueda

Early estimates pointed to a modest crop in Rueda mainly due to the year-long drought.

Other adversities were spring frost at bud break in some areas, poor fruit set in someVerdejo vineyards and heat spikes over the summer.

However rain late in the season (25th and 28th September) and 242 hectares of newvineyards boosted the crop to a new record level. Yields varied considerably from oneparcel to another: volume could be down by up to 50% in vineyards without irrigation orwhere vines are located on poor soils whereas those with irrigation offered a more abundantcrop. Harvest started in late August with early ripening Sauvignon Blanc and continued withVerdejo, Viura and Palomino.

Marco Sanz who oversees the vineyards for Bodegas Menade says: “We fought against thenegative effects of the lack of water and the heat through irrigation and water diffusion

keeping humidity constant though the ripening period [for Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc].”

José Antonio Merayo at Bodegas Val de Vid adds: “Younger vineyards were more affectedby the extreme weather this year; vineyards that are 20 years old or more produced moreconsistent yields and fruit from these vineyards ripened better as well. In general buncheswere smaller and lighter and although yields were lower, quality was higher due to greaterfruit concentration.” He is optimistic about this year’s wines, which are showing “greatbalance, freshness, elegance and finesse”.

2012 harvest in Rueda: 78m/kg. DO area: 12,826ha, 95% white varieties, mostly Verdejo.



DO Ribera del DueroDO Ribera del DueroDO Ribera del DueroDO Ribera del Duero

In Ribera del Duero drought, late frosts in February and isolated incidents of hail in Julyreduced yields. Thankfully the harvest conditions were generally very favourable almostthroughout with rainy conditions threatening quality only towards the end.

The lack of rain over winter had the most influence on this year’s crop according to IsmaelGonzález, vineyard manager at Pago de los Capellanes. The dry winter followed anunusually dry autumn in 2011 when many vineyards started to show signs of stress.

At Pago de los Capellanes the crop is 25% down on 2011 and it’s been a challenging yearin the vineyard: “Over the summer there was very little rain but just enough for grapes toripen adequately. The conditions meant that we had to work intensely in the vineyard anddecide carefully when to prune and deleaf etc to help the vine to complete its cycle in thebest possible way.”

Commenting on the region’s main variety, Tempranillo, he adds: “Tempranillo is a rustic

variety and well suited to our region, but even so it suffered from the drought - bud breakwas later than usual and uneven. Fortunately it rained at the end of July which refreshed thevines and, notably, in mid September and at this point the rain significantly improved theprospects for good quality.” González also notes that older vines tended to fare better dueto their deeper roots.” He concludes that 2012 is a good year with slightly lower alcohollevels compared to recent vintages and good ageing potential.

The vintage report from Torres notes that some cooler areas of the region such as Moradillode Roa and Olmos de Peñafiel ripened very well this year. Their winemaking team alsofound alcohol levels to be lower than usual while “phenolic ripeness was more pronounced”.In summary quality could be particularly good from this vintage in Ribera del Duero.

2012 harvest in DO Ribera del Duero: Around 85m/kg, similar to the 2010 harvest.

DO Tierra de LeónDO Tierra de LeónDO Tierra de LeónDO Tierra de León

In line with the trend across Spain, yields were low this year in Tierra de León, especially forPrieto Picudo, but excellent quality across all varieties allowed almost the entire harvest toachieve DO classification to the detriment of the Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León andVino de Mesa categories.

The lack of water resulted in small berries and bunches but disease barely registered thisyear. The mood was very positive at harvest time and there are high hopes for this year’swines.

2012 harvest in Tierra de León: 3.9m/kg. Main red varieties: Prieto Picudo (70% ofplantings); others: Mencía and Tempranillo. Main white varieties: Albarín and Verdejo.

DO ToroDO ToroDO ToroDO Toro

In Toro summer temperatures were lower than usual and only rose over 40˚C on a few days,which compensated for the dry conditions. Fresher nights from mid August also helped

vines to reach optimum ripeness in the six weeks leading up to harvest and tamed alcohollevels.



Paloma San Ildelfonso of Bodegas Sobreño says: “Tempranillo (Tinta del Toro) grapesripened well – bunches were small and clusters were loose and healthy. Yields were low butthe wines look promising with intense colour, good fruit profile and ripe tannins, which willhelp us to achieve roundness and good mouthfeel in the finished wines. The fresher summeralso resulted in slightly lower alcohol levels and a slightly higher acidity and this bodes well

for quality in wines destined for ageing.”

3. The north: Rioja and Navarra

DOCa RiojaDOCa RiojaDOCa RiojaDOCa Rioja

The viticultural year in Rioja was generally without any serious incidents with the exceptionof two hailstorms in the Alavesa in June and July respectively. As a result some vineyardsaround the towns of Samaniego, Baños de Ebro and Leza lost their entire production thisyear and others were damaged.

Harvest started promptly at Galilea and Ausejo in the Rioja Baja on August 21st with earlyripening varieties Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay (both are non-traditional varietiesadopted by the DO in 2007). It was in full swing by the third week of September andcontinued, punctuated by occasional rain, until the last week of October.

The most significant rain fell on September 28th and 29th. Depending on area this varied from25-60 litres and it was generally welcome after an extremely dry summer however opinionsvary according to area and producer. Irrigation, where available, is also permitted in Rioja ona carefully controlled basis from August 15th.

There will be cases where the September (and October) rains helped grapes to achieve fullmaturity and balance after a challenging growing period which witnessed uneven ripening

from one parcel to another. Vines cultivated on deeper soils with better water reserves andvineyards located in fresher areas generally fared better. Careful and selective harvestingwas essential throughout Rioja to achieve good quality this year.

Marcos Eguren at Bodegas Sierra Cantabria bodegas says: “The wines from 2012 look verystructured, tannic and they have strong colour. I think they will develop well, in a similar wayto the 1990 vintage – those wines were tannic initially, even a bit aggressive and not veryexpressive but over time they developed well and became fantastic wines.

At Bodegas Baigorri in Rioja Alavesa Simón Arina, technical director, adds: “This is thehealthiest crop for 10 years. Tempranillo shows particularly good colour and ripeness butwe’ve had to keep a close eye on acidity levels – we picked Tempranillo earlier than usual -

and pH. Garnacha performs well in dry years and although yields are also low for whitevarieties, the quality is generally good.

2012 harvest in Rioja: this year’s crop of 356m/kg is somewhat lower than the 387m/kg in2011. Some 62,209ha were in production within the DO for this harvest, an increase of 67on 2011. Production is predominantly red - 58,442ha – compared to 3,767ha for whites

DO NavarraDO NavarraDO NavarraDO Navarra

Harvest is typically fairly drawn out in Navarra due to the wide selection of grape varietiesgrown and the different climatic conditions among the region’s five sub-zones.



This year it was particularly protracted due to the dry conditions and slow maturation; themain harvest started on August 16th with early-ripening varieties in the warmer southernRibera Baja and concluded with the last Cabernet grapes in cooler areas such as Ribera Alta at the end of October. Moscatel de grano menudo grapes for sweet wines areharvested well into the autumn.

There is generally satisfaction over quality if not quantity. However, with over 50% ofvineyards now having irrigation systems many growers could maintain production levelsover an exceptionally dry summer.

Pablo Pávez, winemaker at Bodegas Príncipe de Viana says: “Chardonnay grapes were highin quality especially in areas where vines didn’t suffer from lack of water and acidity levelscould be maintained. The wines are rich in citrus aromas and tropical fruit and generous inthe mouth.”

Tempranillo, Cabernet, Garnacha and Graciano all ripened well, he says. “The bestTempranillo has black fruit and great concentration as well as ripe tannins – it’s a very

promising year for this variety.” The other three red varieties show similar characteristics forthis vintage, which Pávez compares to 2011 in quality but with even more concentration.

2012 harvest in Navarra: 63m/kg, 12% less than 2011. Red varieties represent 91% of thecrop for this harvest and comprise: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Merlot, Cabernet, Graciano,Mazuelo, Pinot Noir and Syrah. White varieties include Chardonnay, Viura, Malvasía,Sauvignon Blanc and Moscatel de grano menudo. DO area: 11,500ha

4. AragónDO Calatayud,DO Calatayud,DO Calatayud,DO Calatayud, DO Campo de BorjaDO Campo de BorjaDO Campo de BorjaDO Campo de Borja andandandand DO CariñenaDO CariñenaDO CariñenaDO Cariñena (south(south(south(south----westwestwestwest Aragón) Aragón) Aragón) Aragón)

In Calatayud, Campo de Borja and Cariñena the rustic Garnacha, a later-ripening variety,benefited from autumn rains. The outcome of the harvest has been far more positive thanmany had expected.

Norrel Robertson MW heads up El Escocés Volante and makes wine throughout the region.He says: “One of the virtues of Garnacha is its ability to withstand extreme drought and thebreak in the weather [in September] surprised many as what has started out as a toughpotential harvest has actually produced some great quality fruit.”

“As drought held ripening back during the year, alcohol levels are not actually all thatexcessive and in fact will be a little bit down on normal years. With some irregularity inripening growers and winemakers had to be patient and wait to bring parcels to full ripenessand the harvest had a stop-start nature. In terms of winemaking there has been a tendencyto macerate less and press off a little bit early to ensure the wines do not become tooastringent or tannic. Overall there is good quality from a challenging harvest whereharvesting has gone on into the end of October and November in some areas.”

DO CalatayudDO CalatayudDO CalatayudDO Calatayud

Bud break was somewhat irregular in the vineyards of Calatayud where Garnacha is theleading grape variety. A “magnificent fruit set” followed in June giving rise to high initialhopes for this year’s harvest of around 11m kg.



The hot, dry summer, which followed, led to more modest forecasts over yield and anoutcome which is expected to be in line with last year’s crop.

Picking commenced on 15th September with Macabeo followed by Tempranillo and Syrah. Attention turned to Garnacha in early October with the harvest extending into early

November as different areas reached optimum ripeness.

Irrigation systems have not been established to a significant extent in Calatayud indeed thenature of the vineyards - at 550-1,040m - can make irrigation unviable. However, there is atendency for growers to establish vineyards in fresher areas and/or areas where there ispossible access to water reserves for irrigation during a dry summer.

2012 harvest in Calatayud: 8m/kg (estimate)

DO Campo de BorjaDO Campo de BorjaDO Campo de BorjaDO Campo de Borja

The viticultural year followed a similar pattern in Campo de Borja, another major area ofproduction for Garnacha. Extending over 82 days, the harvest commenced on August 16th and lasted until Nov 5th.

2012 harvest in Campo de Borja: 23.4m/kg, 8.6% less than 2011 but 3.5% more than theaverage of the last two decades.

DO CariñenaDO CariñenaDO CariñenaDO Cariñena

As in so many areas, the extreme heat of July and, notably, August reduced the yield inCariñena. However the region is increasingly able to cope with dry conditions: 6,000 ha(41%) of vineyards are now equipped with irrigation systems which proved to be particularlybeneficial in this exceptionally dry year. Fruit quality was generally high with cooler areasand irrigated vineyards offering the best results in both quality and yield.

2012 harvest in Cariñena: 75m/kg (estimate), 6% up on 2011 but 5.4% less than average ofrecent years.

DO SomontanoDO SomontanoDO SomontanoDO Somontano (north(north(north(north----easteasteasteast Aragón) Aragón) Aragón) Aragón)For Somontano, a dry winter and dry conditions from July through to September resulted inthe lowest vintage for a decade despite generous spring rains. Leading variety CabernetSauvignon fared relatively well while yields were particularly low for Tempranillo, Merlot andChardonnay as well as less widely planted varieties Garnacha Blanca, Riesling andGewürztraminer.

2012 harvest in Somontano: 15m/kg, 16% less than 2011. Key red varieties: CabernetSauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo, Syrah and Garnacha Tinta. Key white varieties:Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Macabeo. Total area: 3,487ha.



5. North-central regions

DODODODO La ManchaLa ManchaLa ManchaLa Mancha

Extreme weather conditions dominated the viticultural year in La Mancha: winter and spring

were particularly cold and rainfall over the entire year was remarkably low. The yield wasvery low in areas without irrigation with the overall crop expected to be down by 15-20% -this is similar result to 2011 and marks a second low yield for the region.

On the other hand, there was no hail or frost of any significance or reports of disease suchas mildew and grape quality was generally high.

La Mancha’s vineyards are increasingly varied in terms of grape varieties, which can proveto be advantageous in a year such as 2012 for growers no longer dependent on one varietyalone.

The white Airén is still widely planted across the region but Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blancand Moscatel de grano menudo are increasingly favoured by growers. Tempranillo is themost widely planted red with other reds including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot andGarnacha.

DO Vinos de MadridDO Vinos de MadridDO Vinos de MadridDO Vinos de Madrid

Depending on area, there was 40-50% less rainfall in the Vinos de Madrid region and almostno rain between December and March. This delayed the growing cycle by around a week.Bud break started with the white Albillo variety in the San Martín sub-zone followed by othervarieties such as Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon throughout the region.

Dry conditions kept disease at bay and limited the need for treatments and, despite theprolonged drought, there were few cases of vine stress or grapes shrivelling.

“Most grapes reached good phenolic ripeness without excessively high sugar levels butwith somewhat less acidity than usual,” said Mario Bravo, head of viticulture at the region’sConsejo Regulador.

2012 harvest in DO Vinos de Madrid: 15m/kg, 20% less than an average year

6. Catalonia, Majorca and the LevantDDDDO CatalunyaO CatalunyaO CatalunyaO Catalunya

Growers working within the wider DO Catalunya were grateful for generous rainfall in thespring when dry, hot conditions started in early June and continued, along with heat spikes,for the entire summer. This brought the start of harvest forward by around a week comparedto an average year with the first grapes picked on 16th August.

Early ripening varieties such as Chardonnay and Moscatel are down in volume by 27% thisyear and the total crop is expected to be 15-20% down on a typical year.

Late ripening varieties such as Parellada and Cabernet Sauvignon fared better andproduced more abundant yields thanks to some welcome rain in August and fresherweather in September.



Despite modest volumes overall, the crop is up by 2.5% compared to 2011 due to moregrowers operating within the DO Catalunya classification, according to its ConsejoRegulador. Conditions favoured good ripeness, sugar levels and phenolic structureparticularly for late ripening red varieties.

The vintage report from Torres describes “a long harvest which began early due to the heatand drought of the summer and ended two months later”. The ongoing dry conditions andhigh temperatures in August caused stress in earlier ripening varieties and acceleratedripening but for most of the harvest the results were more positive. Garnacha Tinta,Cariñena and Cabernet Sauvignon stood out after a gentler pace of ripening and all showgood ageing potential. “This is generally an excellent harvest with balanced musts, correctsugars and healthy grapes,” concludes Torres.

DO EmpordDO EmpordDO EmpordDO Empordàààà

The harvest report from Empordà describes many adversities including unfavourable spring

weather which brought strong wind and hail at precisely the wrong time. Later, on July 23 rd,a devastating fire swept through 12,000 ha in Alt Empordà damaging certain vineyards.

Volumes are modest for 2012 and are expected to be in line with recent years with theexception of 2011, which was described as “an exceptional year” in terms of both qualityand quantity.

This year’s good harvest conditions allowed grapes to be picked at optimum ripeness foreach variety - and at a steady pace over a long harvest from mid August to mid October.The first wines show bright colour and are well balanced with good aromas.

Main reds: Cariñena and Garnacha Tinta. Others: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon andMerlot. Main whites: Garnacha Blanca, Macabeo, Moscatel and Xarel-lo. Others:Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer.

DO Pla de BagesDO Pla de BagesDO Pla de BagesDO Pla de Bages

Growers in Pla de Bages harvested 15% fewer grapes compared to 2011. Towards the endof the summer significantly lower temperatures at night benefited the ripening process. As inmany areas, disease was not an issue and fruit quality was generally described as “verygood”.

DOCa PrioratDOCa PrioratDOCa PrioratDOCa Priorat

The lack of spring and summer rains in Priorat brought the harvest forward by 10-15 daysdepending on vineyard location. Dry weather is also responsible for a modest yield, which is7% lower than last year. Key grapes Garnacha and Cariñena stand out for quality bothbeing well adapted to hot, dry conditions.

Álvaro Palacios describes 2012 as “one of the driest vintages that I have ever seen” yet inPriorat (and Rioja Baja) Garnacha has performed remarkably well. Palacios says: “In adrought Garnacha produces the best quality.”

Palacios tends to pick late each vintage and this year, like many, he could take advantage ofthe cooler autumn conditions and rain, a lot of rain towards the end of harvest. “The grapeswere healthy and consistent in quality and the rain didn’t cause a problem. It’s a fabulous



year for Garnacha… Last September was very hot so the 2011 wines are quite big but thisyear there was nothing in excess (in the grapes). The wines are showing intense colour,great focus and elegance.”

2012 harvest in DOCa Priorat: 4.7m/kg

DO MontsantDO MontsantDO MontsantDO Montsant

In Montsant the dry summer and intense heat of August brought the harvest forward byaround a week to start on 25th August. It continued well into the autumn due to the variety ofmicroclimates and grape varieties within the region ending in early November.

Across all varieties grapes ripened well – 94% of the crop being reds led by Garnacha,Cariñena and Tempranillo and 6% whites – predominantly Garnacha Blanca with someChardonnay and Pansal (Xarel-lo).

2012 harvest in DO Montsant: 6.4m/kg, 1.5m/kg less than in 2011

MMMMajajajajorca: DO Binissalem and DO Pla i Llevantorca: DO Binissalem and DO Pla i Llevantorca: DO Binissalem and DO Pla i Llevantorca: DO Binissalem and DO Pla i Llevant

In DO Binissalem harvest started early, on July 7th, after one of the hottest summers of thelast 30 years for the Balearic Island. The “extreme drought” was offset by the use ofirrigation for the first time. There is general satisfaction with quality, especially for laterripening indigenous varieties (red) Manto Negro and (white) Moll (Xarel-lo).

Manto Negro is the most widely planted red variety followed by Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot, Shiraz, Tempranillo and Callet. Moll dominates white plantings while other whitevarieties include Chardonnay, Moscatel, Macabeo and Parellada. Red varieties accountedfor 75% of the crop in 2012. The total harvest of 2.8m/kg represents an increase of 2.8% on2011 largely due a modest increase in the production area.

At Can Majoral (DO Pla i Llevant) Mireia Majoral says that grapes ripened quicker than usualbut that quality held up: “This year, as there was so little rain, we had no mildew which isimportant. The quality of Callet and Mantonegro grapes was very good and good forParellada, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet.”

DO JumillaDO JumillaDO JumillaDO Jumilla

Rain finally came to Jumilla at the end of September but it was both welcome and modest incontrast to the torrential rains that hit other areas of the southeast at the same time. AtBodegas Juan Gil, Monastrell stands out in this vintage. “Berries were smaller butMonastrell stood up to the drought and hotter temperatures than usual perfectly well – thegrapes were healthy and intensely flavoured; this year’s wines might be more structured butthey will be more expressive and the tannins will be more subtle. On the whole quality isvery good for all wine styles but our crop is 30% down,” says Bartolomé Abellán.



DO UtielDO UtielDO UtielDO Utiel----RequenaRequenaRequenaRequena

Manuel Olmo at Bodega Sierra Norte in Utiel-Requena says that his crop is low – down by35% - but that the Bobal variety also held up well. He says: “Due to many hours of sun andcloud-free days the cycle was often two weeks shorter than usual despite our location at

940m. As the harvest was earlier than usual, the day/night temperature differentiation wasn’tas wide, so we have reservations about ageing potential. In the case of younger wines, wecan certainly see good aromas and balance between acidity, alcohol and polyphenols.”

DDDDO ValenciaO ValenciaO ValenciaO Valencia

The vintage started promptly, in early August, with early ripening varieties – white grapesChardonnay, Malvasía, Verdil as well as Pinot Noir and Merlot. In late August it continuedwith reds Tempranillo and Garnacha Tintorera and finally the late ripening varietiesMonastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon and Bobal were picked. Harvest finished in the cooler,high-lying Alto Túria sub-region in mid October.

2012 vintage in Valencia: 57m/kg, 15% down on 2011

7. The south: Jerez

DODODODO JerJerJerJerezezezez

For sherry’s homeland, Jerez, a significantly lower crop this year is largely attributed to thelack of rainfall – just over 300 litres fell over the viticultural year, which is half the average for

the region. Production levels varied quite considerably within the DO: for inland Trebujenayields were down by around a third while in some areas of coastal Chiclana and Chipionaproduction even exceeded last year’s yields. Grape quality was high and Baumé levelsgenerally exceeded 11.5˚.

2012 harvest: 47m/kg, 27% less than 2011.

November 2012November 2012November 2012November 2012,,,, Patricia LangtonPatricia LangtonPatricia LangtonPatricia Langton

spanish wines 2012 harwest

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