The harvest has been going on for about ten days, especially with the cutting of the white grapes: Vermentino is also being harvested in the Cagliari area. With forecasts that are respected: minus twenty percent of production and with a sugar content that at the moment appears equally lower than the harvest a year ago.
«In general», says Mariano Murru, president of Assoenologi, «from a qualitative point of view it is still an excellent year, both for white and red grapes. The bunches not affected by downy mildew and powdery mildew, which have been able to be irrigated, guarantee excellent quality. So we expect excellent wines. Unfortunately there are those cases in which prompt action has not been taken, both with fungicide treatments and with irrigation: with rather heavy losses».
In the Nuoro area, on the other hand, the damage is linked to the adverse climatic conditions recorded in the months of May and June. «There was no lack of hailstorms in Gallura, still in the Nuoro area and also in the south. In Donori in particular», adds Murru, «the losses estimated at an average of 20 percent include the areas that have had the most problems and others such as Sulcis, Campidano and Nurra, Alghero and Sorso, which instead have excellent production: there , there were no problems with frosts, hail and it rained more in spring but also in August. Rains that have done good to the vines that have been able to complete the maturation better ».
In Campidano? «The heat wave of the third week of August», explains the winemaker, «impressed an acceleration of the maturation. This is the situation. In any case, it comforts us that the quality is there and that therefore we will certainly have excellent wines».