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Rioja Alta sees return of cooler vintage with picking underway
The 2024 vintage has seen a return to cooler and damper conditions in the Rioja Alta, with one producer impressed by the high-quality of the grapes, despite lower than average yields.
Bodegas Sonsierra, the largest cooperative in the renowned village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra in the Rioja Alta sub-region, began harvesting in the early morning of 17 September 2024
Following a cool summer, the Spanish winery had to race to bring in its grapes to maximise quality ahead of rains forecast to hit the region.
Winemaker Rafael Usoz, who has worked at the winery since the 1990s, said that despite low yields, he was impressed by the quality of the grapes.
He described the crop as “simply marvelous”.
“Although the quantity harvested in this vintage will be low, the quality is undoubtedly exceptional,” he said.
“Autumn came early and the threat of rain meant that we had to bring in the grapes very quickly to avoid losing any of the quality. We harvest entirely by hand, and in vintages with low quantities of grapes such as this one, we have to cover much further distances each day to harvest the same quantity of precious grapes.”
Harvesting started with Tempranillo Blanco, the earliest ripening variety. Harvesting continued with parcels of Viura on 18 and 19 September. The rest of the Tempranillo grapes began being picked on 23 September.
After several very hot vintages, with temperatures in 2023 topping 30ºC throughout the summer, this year has seen figures much more in line with historic averages, and only one heat wave at the start of August when thermometers rose above 35ºC.
Rainfall has also fallen regularly throughout the 2024 growing season, with some heavy downpours in March and May causing some challenges with flowering and fruit set, particularly in the Garnacha variety, which will affect yields. However, the rainfall has not caused the issues with fungal diseases seen in some parts of Spain, as the village of San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in the foothills of the Sierra Cantabria, with vineyards at 500-700 metres, is known for its breezy conditions.
Over in France, the Champagne region has reported a similar story, with lower yields of good quality grapes. Read more here.
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