With the 2009 grape harvest over, at Donnafugata it’s time to draw conclusions. Normal weather trends and scrupulous vineyard tending created the premises for an excellent harvest allowing us to bring healthy and perfectly ripe grapes to the cellar.

These are the year’s highlights. In the fall and winter rainfall was above seasonal averages. In spring (April and May) there was a slight delay in budding and blossoming. In June we trimmed the vines to facilitate the growth of new leaves that would be physiologically active in the final stages of grape ripening.

Summer temperatures were a bit higher than usual. In any case, there were big temperature changes between day and night, aiding the vineyards’ vine/grape growth balance, preventing stress from summer heat and at night allowing what was photosynthesized during the day to be transferred from the vine leaves to the grapes.

For example, on the hillsides of the Donnafugata estate at Contessa Entellina, on one of the hottest days, such as July 16, maximum temperature reached 103ºF while the minimum was 65ºF. And even during all of August the difference between highest and lowest temperatures was considerable.

In July the vines went through the grape-setting phase. Towards the end of the month the most productive vineyards were selectively thinned.

At Contessa Entellina the harvest began on August 10, with the nighttime picking of the Chardonnay grapes, the earliest variety to ripen. Nocturnal harvesting is a technical choice that preserves the grapes’ aromas much better during transport from vineyard to cellar, thanks to cooler temperatures.

It was then the turn of the Sauvignon Blanc (August 13), the Viognier (August 19 to 27), the Merlot (August 26 to September 5), the Syrah (August 27 to September 12), the Nero d’Avola (starting from September 5), the Grecanico (September 6) and the Ansonica (September 7 to 10).

The Cabernet Sauvignon harvest began on September 9 and the Catarratto on September 12. The rain that fell on September 16-17 and 22-23 delayed grape picking by about a week, ending on October 1 for both varieties.

At the vineyards located at Pandolfina (Sambuca di Sicilia) the most recently planted varieties were harvested as follows: the Alicante was picked on September 19, the Tannat on the 21 and 29 and the Petit Verdot on September 29.

These are grapes traditional to several Mediterranean basin countries such as France, Spain and Italy (Alicante in particular has been grown for more than a century in Sicily, too). In the past few years Donnafugata has found that these varieties grow extremely well on the Belice Valley hills and so will gradually be added to the blends of some of the winery’s reds.

Where overall rainfall is concerned, this was quite a wet year: from October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009, 34.4 inches of rain fell versus the average of 26.6 registered over the past seven years by the S.I.A.S meteorological station at Contessa Entellina (www.sias.regione.sicilia.it).

In conclusion, at Donnafugata white wine quality is excellent; the same high quality was achieved for the reds although production was smaller because the rainfall on September 22-23 made greater selection during picking necessary.

Satisfaction was also great on Pantelleria, where the Donnafugata vineyards in 11 different parts of the island are important examples of heroic viticulture. Here the Zibibbo harvest began on August 12, picking the grapes in a few small vineyards, and went into full swing from August 17 on. The harvest terminated on September 19.

In general, good temperature changes between day and night helped enhance the fragrances of the Zibibbo, which is grown shrub-style on volcanic soil.

Just over a month ago fermentations ended for the Ben Ryé production process and early tastings show the great harmony and elegance towards which this sweet wine is projected.

Thanks to normal weather conditions and very scrupulous vineyard tending, at Donnafugata the 2008 grape harvest was excellent, giving it healthy, perfectly ripe grapes that will become wines with great harmony and elegance.
Particularly 2008 was a somewhat drier year: from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008, rainfall amounted to 20 inches versus an average of 25.5 inches in the past six years in western Sicily (data collected at the S.I.A.S. weather station at Contessa Entellina: www.sias.regione.sicilia.it).
Temperatures were a bit higher than the seasonal norm but without exceptional peaks and with remarkable differences between day and night that kept the vineyards from experiencing stress. Altogether it was a very balanced year featuring gradual and constant ripening of the different grape varieties.
Meticulous vineyard tending, from winter pruning to pre-harvest thinning enabled the vines to achieve an optimal vegetation-production equilibrium. And highly important in obtaining quality were the efforts made to monitor grape ripening and to choose the ideal time for picking each variety in Donnafugata’s various vineyards.
From the standpoint of vine health, except for some very circumscribed cases of grape leafhopper the year was problem-free; the harvested grapes were generally very healthy and reached aromatic and phenolic maturity with a lower amount of sugar than usually. Meaning that the 2008 wines will generally have lower alcohol content than the average for recent years.
Here the most significant moments of the 2008 vintage in the period from April to September at the Donnafugata estate at Contessa Entellina. April-May: mild temperatures at first slowed down the usual timing of shooting and blossoming. Rainfalls were below the seasonal average and a bit ahead in time (May) when the vines needed more water anyway.
June-July: a slight delay in the ripening process was quickly recouped thanks to fine weather conditions. In June the vines were trimmed to foster new leaf growth during the last stages of grape ripening. In July the grapes were in the darkening stage and towards the end of the month the vines were thinned, especially the black grape varieties that this year proved more productive. The reduction of output per vine will lead to wines that are aromatically more complex thanks to perfect phenol maturation in the grapes.
August: the first part of the month was fairly hot, but only occasionally above 95°F and the difference between highs and lows was of about 61°F and often more than 68°F. These climatic conditions enabled the plants to continue in their photosynthesis and complete the ripening stage of the early-ripening grapes (Chardonnay, Viognier and Merlot), while helping the later-ripening varieties to continue to mature.
The night of August 6 was the start of harvesting the Chardonnay, the grape that ripens earliest. At the Contessa Entellina estate this marked the tenth anniversary of the nighttime harvest, a technical decision making it possible to optimally preserve grape aromas during their transport from vineyard to cellar, thanks to cooler nocturnal temperatures.
It rained in the latter part of August (nearly 2 inches) and this, combined with cooler temperatures, kept the vines from suffering water deprivation and allowed them to continue ripening.
September: in early September average temperatures rose, permitting the later-ripening varieties (including Nero d’Avola and Ansonica) to fully mature. On September 26 the harvest concluded with the late red grapes and some portions of Cataratto.
The outcome was excellent on Pantelleria, too, where Donnafugata has vineyards in 11 different areas of the island, mostly terraced and fine examples of heroic viticulture. Here the harvest began on August 17 and continued until September 20, according to grape ripeness in the various areas. In fact, while the island is relatively small, Pantelleria has viticultural contexts that differ in terms of altitude, exposure, soil, vineyard age (some are over a hundred years old) and microclimate, so a multiplicity of factors are involved in the outstanding complexity found in the wines.
In general, big differences in temperature between day and night helped enhance the wealth of aromas in the Zibibbo grapes whose vines are grown in a low bush-form on volcanic soil and protected by drywalls. The grapes were dried in the traditional way, in the sun and wind, for about three weeks. When the optimal level of dehydration was reached the dried grapes were added to the fermenting must – from non-dried grapes – to produce Ben Ryé Passito.
The 2008 harvest can definitely be given the 5-star rating that this territory so well deserves.

From October 1, 2006, until the conclusion of the 2007 vintage on the Donnafugata Estate at CONTESSA ENTELLINA, rainfall was slightly inferior to the average for this part of Sicily, a total of 449 mm. as compared with 540 mm. annually.
Temperatures registered were close to seasonal levels. The highest were registered in June from the 23rd to the 26th, in July between the 20th and the 24th and in August between the 22nd and 29th; however, the heat was always mitigated by extremely low temperatures at night. These strong variations between day and night temperatures (up to 75° F) were essential to the proper performance of the vegetative cycle in the vineyards and for the organoleptic quality of the grapes.
The beginning of the vintage was in line with the average startup of harvesting on Sicily. It began with Chardonnay on August 17 and the pickers then moved on to the Viognier. During the heat wave of the last week of August, ripening accelerated and in response the harvesters started to bring in the Merlot on August 24, the Syrah on September 2, the Nero d’Avola on the 4th and the Cabernet Sauvignon on the 6th, while the harvesting of the Ansonica began on the 7th, followed by the Catarratto. Harvesting concluded on September 23 with the last red grapes.
The productivity of the vineyards from the end of the flowering appeared inferior to the average of recent vintages. Still, to realize its qualitative objectives, the estate carried out relatively little thinning. Altogether, the grapes reached a state of perfect sugary ripeness. In addition, the aromatic and phenolic ripeness was excellent thanks to the substantial variations in temperatures registered in the countryside around Contessa Entellina and to the use of emergency irrigation.
In the Donnafugata vineyards on PANTELLERIA, rainfall was slightly inferior to the average of recent years.
Temperatures were recorded at the usual seasonal values with maximum points registered at the end of June, the second half of July and in the final week of August as in other parts of Sicily. Except in the days when the sirocco was blowing, variations between day and night temperatures had positive effects on the performance of the cycle of vegetation in the vineyards and on the sensory quality of the grapes.
The maturation of the Zibibbo grapes began with a delay of a few days in comparison with the typical Pantelleria vintage. Harvesting began on August 17 in the most precocious areas on the island and ended on September 15.
In this vintage, the productivity of the vineyards was inferior to the average of recent years. The decline was due in particular to the sirocco, which swept over the island in April when the vines were flowering. The level of quality of the grapes harvested on Pantelleria was high, in keeping with the standard that Sicily offers with great consistency.
Final judgment: with the 2007 harvest the estate will be able to offer wines with good bodies, excellent aromatic finesse and pronounced elegance in the fullness of the Donnafugata style.

Donnafugata began the 2006 grape harvest on the island of Pantelleria on August 17 and at Contessa Entellina on August 22, more or less as in the past two years however later than the average. At Contessa Entellina the Chardonnay grapes were the first to be picked—at night to retain their aromatic elements and to guarantee energy savings in the grape cooling stage. On Pantelleria, vineyards are located in 11 different areas and this year Donnafugata inaugurated a new vinification cellar in the Khamma contrada. Harvesting began in the Punta Karace, Arco dell’Elefante and Martingana vineyards. These areas are typically mature earlier than those in other parts of the island.This summer in Sicily was not excessively hot. Grape harvesting at the Contessa Entellina estate began after the four hottest days of the summer, that accelerated grape ripening.The Spring was characterized by heavy rain in comparison to the average season which was concentrated between late April and early May: from April 29 to May 5 rainfall reached 50 mm, a significant amount for the island.Grape production was more abundant than usual and so the yield was reduced with repeated thinning-out to ensure a better productive equilibrium and the ideal aromatic ripening.The technical team, guided by Antonio Rallo—“Donnafugata family” agronomist and head of production—is expecting to secure from the 2006 harvest white wines that are highly aromatic and red wines with good body and fruity flavors. Among the indigenous varieties, Nero d’Avola enjoyed outstanding weather conditions this year, highlighting the fruit. Thanks to big differences in day and night temperatures on the island of Pantelleria, Zibibbo possesses an exceptional aromatic charge.

Unlike the dry years, 2005 was cool and rainy; weather that delayed grape ripening.
Harvesting began at the Donnafugata estate at Contessa Entellina on August 16, with nighttime picking of the white grapes, which are expected to yield highly scented white wines.
There are excellent forecasts for the reds, since the early-September rains aided the balance between sugars and polyphenols.
On Pantelleria, Zibibbo harvesting began on August 16 in the zones of earlier ripening, like "Martingana" and "Dietro l'Isola". Despite some rainfall early in September, alcohol content is good and aromas are full and intense.
There are all the premises for an excellent year featuring elegance.

Both at Contessa Entellina and on Pantelleria the season began late, with an especially rainy winter and spring and a summer with cooler than average temperatures. Weather of this type delayed the growing cycle in the vineyard about 15 to 20 days, leading to slow and even ripening of the grapes.
This enhanced sugar-acid balance as well as aromatic maturation.
In general, rather than for potency 2004 will be remembered for the elegance and finesse of its wines.

After 3 years of drought, the 2002-2003 winter provided Sicily average rainfall for the island. This enabled the soil to replenish water reserves, fundamental for the vineyard right from the first stages of development, such as budding and flowering, which took place in the best possible way. The whites and reds achieved a fine balance of body, aroma, freshness and mellowness.
This was an excellent year for Moscato Kabir and Passito Ben Ryé; structured wines with great sugar-acid balance and extraordinary aromatic content.
The 2003 wines will be admired for their “elegance.”

This was a fairly dry year, with a hot but not overly hot summer. To reach our preset qualitative results, both at Contessa Entellina and on Pantelleria, we had to thin out the vines, relinquishing 20% to 30% of the harvest.
This gave us wines with excellent concentration that retained their aromatic finesse.