Harvest 2022: Chile

Vintage '22 was a tough one for Chilean winegrowers, who were put to test by the lack of rainfall in the Maule Valley. There were also localised challenges, with frost damage in some sites and prolonged flowering period, which resulted in uneven growth; and while alcohol levels will be lower in general they still reached optimal values. Thanks to a careful sectorization, winegrowers could harvest fruit of fantastic quality, with flavours developing well in the wines so far.

Longavi

2022 may have produced fantastic fruit quality, but it took a lot of effort in sectorization due to the challenging climate.

Known for its dry-farming practices, this year, Longavi’s vineyards suffered from the lack of rain – reaching below 400 mm, in the case of the Maule Valley, Chile’s largest wine growing region. Consequently, and due to a cold Spring, some of the sites were affected by frost, mainly in the coastal areas. Followed by a hot ripening period, more-so than December and January, each valley responded to temperature fluctuations very differently, with soil type and vine maturity playing a decisive part on how the lack of water affected the fruit’s growth.

The frost damage in some sites and prolonged flowering period, meant that growth was uneven, forcing vintners to pick the same block at different times throughout the harvest period. But despite climatic challenges, and thanks to the vineyard teams’ expertise, the acidity, alcohol and phenolic maturity have reached optimal values. 

How the wines are tasting:

Maule: Great concentration, moderate alcohol, low Ph and high acidity

Itata: Good phenolic maturity with lower alcohol, good acidity

Bio-Bio: Compared to previous years, the harvest maturity was slightly early. Nonetheless, the fruit achieved good phenolic maturity, and average acidity.