By Patricia Langton

Summary

After a mild spring which generally encouraged rapid vine development, the weather pattern was unpredictable and somewhat strange right across Spain. Notably July was far cooler than usual and more typical summer temperatures came later than normal coinciding with harvest.

Heat and dry conditions will define this vintage virtually across the board. Cases of adverse weather and problems in the vineyard that usually come with it are few and far between. Almost everyone describes good fruit quality with fully ripened grapes and hardly any need to combat vineyard disease. What challenged growers and producers was the lack of water and managing vines in exceptionally dry conditions.

Although there are some exceptions – most notably the Rías Baixas - yields are generally down on last year.

“This year careful viticultural management was crucial [for red and white varieties],” said winemaker Pablo Pavez at Grupo Principe de Viana. “Water management, canopy management and yield control were all important to achieve balance in the grapes and the best quality.” Pavez believes that it will be a great year for reds thanks to the ripeness and sweet, intense fruit character that could be achieved. Many are hoping that this ripeness will compensate for a shortfall in acidity, especially in wines destined for longer ageing.

The following more in-depth analysis with production figures is divided into regional sections:

1. Galicia including the Rías Baixas, Ribeiro and Valdeorras

2. Castilla y León including Bierzo, Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Toro

3. The north: Rioja and Navarra

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

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

6. Catalonia and the south-east including Priorat and Jumilla

7. The south: Sherry

1. Galicia

DO Rías Baixas:

In many ways the viticultural year was far from typical for the region best known for Albariño wines: nothing really happened to reduce the crop which exceeded the previous year’s already generous crop by around 30%.

A warm and dry spring encouraged vigorous growth in the vineyards and – remarkably for one of the wettest Spanish wine regions - there was little sign of mildew throughout the entire growing season. The summer months were dry with a mixture of hot and overcast, cooler days. Punctuated by some rain in late August and early September, the harvest lasted for over a month to finish on October 11th. “We brought the grapes in slowly picking grapes from plots where the fruit was already ripe first and then waiting for sugars to accumulate in the grapes in others,” said Ana Quintela, winemaker at Pazo de Señoráns.

At Bodegas Castro, Martin Andrew McCarthy added: “Despite some green harvesting during July, the yields were far greater than the vast majority of people predicted.”

He believes that the best wines will come from growers and producers who kept yields down, made a careful selection of grapes and extracted the best from them in the winery. “We only used light pressing to avoid extracting phenolic compounds from the pips and stalks,” he said.

Expect wines with slightly lower alcohol levels (11.5-12.5%) and intensity compared to previous years and plenty of wines to choose from.

2011 harvest: 41.8 million kg from 3,966 hectares of vineyards (2010: 31.7 million kg from 3,814 hectares). 95.8% of the 2011 crop is Albariño with Loureira and Treixadura making up the rest.

DO Ribeiro:

Low humidity levels throughout the growing cycle and mild weather favoured the outcome in Ribeiro and dramatically reduced the need to combat vineyard diseases.

Vine development was significantly advanced compared to a typical year leading to an early harvest and one of the best for many years. The quality of the grapes was described as “unbeatable” across all main varieties used in winemaking: Treixadura, Torrontés, Godello, Loureira and Albariño for whites; Sousón, Brancellao and Caiño for reds.

2011 harvest: 19.35 million kg (17.75 for white and 1.6 for red), representing an increase of 29% compared to the previous year.

DO Valdeorras:

Like other regions of Galicia, Valdeorras brought in a much larger crop than last year thanks to favourable weather throughout the year with higher than usual temperatures and little rain in the period before and throughout harvest. Both Godello and Mencía performed well, indeed quality-orientated growers needed to take measures to keep yields down. “We did a green harvest in our vineyards to control the yield as the conditions favoured over-production this year,” said Luis Núñez at Valdesil. “Overall we’re pleased with the quality – acidity levels are a little lower in Godello but for both Godello and Mencía alcohol levels are high and the musts show good concentration.”

2011 harvest: 7.6 million kg, 61% more than the 2010 harvest. Godello with 2.7 million kg and Mencía with 2.2 million kg are the leading quality grapes in Valdeorras.

Other regions of Galicia: DO Ribera Sacra’s crop was 7 million kg, the highest to date and well above the 5.6 million kg of 2010

2. Castilla y León

DO Bierzo:

Best known for the red grape variety Mencía, Bierzo benefited from more favourable weather during the spring compared to the previous year. Vine development slowed during July due to unusually cool temperatures and maturation was also delayed during August due to the lack of rainfall of recent months and high temperatures. September was unusually hot and the arrival of rain early in the month was welcomed by growers along with a significant drop in temperature at night.

Good weather during harvest allowed growers to pick at optimum ripeness. Harvest ended in Bierzo on October 21, five days earlier than the previous year, with healthy grapes showing strong varietal character and deep colour.

At Bodegas Godelia, winemakers Josep Serra Guillen and Silvia Marrao Barreiro commented on the high number of sun exposure hours this year (over 2000 hours) as well as favourable weather which resulted in good fruit set and flowering and ‘unbeatable’ grape quality. “Despite all this the grapes were slower than usual to reach full ripeness but we were patient and finally rewarded with both quality and quantity,” they said.

2011 harvest: 20.3 million kg, 53% more than in 2010 and 11.5% more than the average of the last five years. Mencía accounts for 13.1 million kg in 2011, up from 9.7 million kg in 2010.

DO Ribera del Duero:

In contrast to 2010, when some parts of the region experienced severe frost damage, there were fewer incidences of adverse weather for Ribera del Duero this year. However, there was some concern when hail and heavy rain struck the region during three separate incidences in May. The most serious of these hit the central Burgos area on May 11th.

In general the weather was warmer than usual throughout the growing period with the exception of July. “Soon after bud break the temperatures were very high and the vines developed quickly. The higher temperatures and lack of rain resulted in healthy grapes and we started the vintage three weeks earlier than usual on September 16th,” said winemaker Jorge Bombin at Legaris. He added: “The wines are showing surprisingly intense colour, ripe black fruit flavours and they are both structured and round in the mouth.”

At Cruz de Alba, winemaker Sergio Avila was also pleased with the outcome this year after it took just five days to bring in the grapes. He said: “The musts are slightly less acidic than in 2010 but they are very aromatic and robust. We are very satisfied with the results.”

2011 harvest: Provisional figures indicate a far more generous crop of 96.5 million kg this year in contrast to 71 million kg in 2010.

DO Rueda:

A mild spring and hot summer resulted in the earliest harvest for 10 years in Rueda which started on August 23rd and, as usual, with Sauvignon Blanc followed by Verdejo. As elsewhere, the conditions during the vintage were uncharacteristically hot with temperatures dropping far less at night compared to recent years. Alejandra Sanz of Sitios de Bodegas noted on September 22nd: “It is still up to 24˚C at night. Incredible!”

Largely due to the dry conditions, the total crop was slightly lower than in 2010 despite a further 890 hectares of vineyards coming on stream within the DO.

Cristina Bosch, winemaker at Bodegas Naia, notes a honeyed character in the wines as a result of the atypically hot weather at the end of the ripening period. She believes that “the quality of the wines will be high with strong varietal character showing apricot and peach fruit in contrast to the more citric and fennel notes of 2010. The wines have great structure and depth.”

Sanz added: “Both Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo grapes were healthy and offered plenty of flavour even though the acidity isn’t as focused as the ‘perfect’ 2010.”

2011 harvest: 74.8 million kg (mostly Verdejo with 61.1 million kg, Viura and Sauvignon Blanc) from 12,590 hectares. The total for 2010 was 76.6 million kg from 11,700 hectares.

DO Toro:

Spring was fresh and rainy in Toro and warm weather in April led to an early bud break and generally good vine development. Some isolated areas including Morales de Toro, Robalejo and Castañar experienced storm damage during the flowering period.

July was fresh and sometimes cloudy which encouraged some incidences of oidium but much hotter weather followed in August culminating in unsettled weather and light rain at the end of the month for most areas of the DO.

October was consistently hot and dry - much hotter than usual - the hottest harvest since the DO was established 24 years ago according to Toro’s Consejo Regulador.

Harvest started earlier than usual on September 2nd and generally proceeded at a faster pace than usual as high temperatures threatened to shrivel (Tempranillo) grapes on the vines. The last bodegas to harvest were those located in the higher areas of Venialbo Sanzoles.

Winemaker Oscar Martín at Bodegas Sobreño in Toro expects the vintage to offer “wines with great colour, structure and complexity which will be capable of long ageing”.

2011 harvest: 19 million kg with Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) representing 17 million kg. This year’s crop is more generous than the previous year – 2010 yielded 16.6 million kg – and roughly similar to the outcome in 2009.

3. The north: Rioja and Navarra

DOCa Rioja:

Harvest started early in Rioja after a year marked by very low rainfall over the winter, during the summer and right through harvest. The exceptionally dry conditions re-opened the debate over irrigation – modern irrigation systems are permitted in the region but not in the run-up to harvest.

In general cooler, fresher areas of the region and vineyards equipped with irrigation systems fared better. But conditions were more challenging for vineyards in hotter areas with poor soils and no irrigation and here selective picking was often required to discard unusable grapes.

Lack of water remained the main concern throughout the growing period and is largely responsible for this year’s modest crop (see below) – the region’s potential production currently stands at 460 million kg. Other significant weather events were few and far between; there was little incidence of frost, no significant storm damage and the dry conditions kept vineyard diseases at bay.

The harvest took place over two months after starting in the Rioja Baja on August 24th. It continued uninterrupted with the exception of a few rainy days in early September which were followed by unseasonably high temperatures and dry weather for the entire month. Picking concluded rapidly in early October as growers sought to avoid dehydration and falling acidity levels. By October 12th the harvest was almost finished.

Jorge Muga of Bodegas Muga in the Rioja Alta comments: “The vines coped well with the dry conditions until August, but when the heat continued into September they started to suffer. We could see some sun damage on leaves and some defoliation notably for vines in more shallow soils and sandy soils.” He also noted that older vines and those with deeper roots fared better as well as those in higher, cooler areas with a northern exposure (south and eastern exposures being the hottest).

The role of ‘minority grapes’ such as Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano may also be greater this year where Tempranillo shows weaknesses. “Garnacha has performed the best of all [for us], it is possibly making the best wine of the decade and Mazuelo is good too whereas the results for Tempranillo are more mixed,” said Muga.

While it’s early days, Muga sees more powerful wines emerging from 2011 compared to the ‘more elegant’ 2010 vintage.

In the Rioja Baja the weeks leading up to harvest were also challenging as sugar levels rose quickly ahead of complete phenolic ripeness. José María del Río, technical director for Barón de Ley, says that production was 20% down largely due to smaller bunches but he’s satisfied with quality after waiting for the best time to pick each plot over “the hottest harvest that anyone can remember”.

He also highlights Garnacha for “good alcohol levels, colour, freshness and fruit character’ while Tempranillo is more structured from areas with a Mediterranean influence and shows freshness and elegance from those with an Atlantic influence.

2011 harvest: DO authorities approved 383 million kg of grapes for wine production from a total crop of 387 million kg. In 2010 371 million kg was approved from 395 million kg. In 2011 red grape varieties accounted for 92.3% of the crop. The production area within the DO stands at 62,125 compared to 61,960 in 2010.

DO Navarra:

By late October the harvest in Navarra was almost complete with the exception of Moscatel grapes which are left to ripen well into the autumn for sweet wines.

The harvest yielded 16% less than last year due to a reduction in the vineyard area within the DO and low summer rainfall. The best wines are expected to have fine aromatic qualities and good complexity with rosados and reds offering intense colours.

Javier Ochoa of Bodegas Ochoa notes a little less acidity in the wines this year and believes that carefully managed irrigation was very valuable this year to enable vines to perform well. Local varieties Viura and Moscatel coped better with the high temperatures this year compared to Chardonnay and Ochoa describes red wines with deep colour and a “pleasing ‘Mediterranean character”. He concludes that quality across the region varies considerably depending on yield and the approach to viticulture.

2011 harvest: Approximately 72 million kg. Red grape varieties, accounting for 92% this year, are led by Tempranillo, Garnacha, Merlot, Cabernet, Graciano and Syrah while whites include Chardonnay, Viura, Garnacha Blanca and Moscatel de Grano Menudo.

4. Aragón: The north-east

DO Calatayud:

The harvest is significantly lower in Calatayud largely due to much smaller yields of Garnacha, the region’s main grape. Rainy conditions during fruit set reduced the yield early in the growing season while dry conditions resulted in modest bunch weights at the time of picking. Despite temperatures as high at 30˚C in October, vines resisted well and fruit quality was good.

2011 harvest: 7.5 million kg (estimate) compared to 13 million kg in 2010.

DO Campo de Borja:

It was definitely a case of quality but not quantity for Campo de Borja where another dry year challenged growers. José Ignacio Garcia, general manager of the region’s Consejo Regulador, described “desert like conditions” throughout the growing season and said that not a drop of rain fell during the harvest which ended on October 26th.

As a result yields were low – especially for Garnacha from older and higher vineyards. Bunches were small but grapes were healthy with intense flavours and good colour.

2011 harvest: 24.5 million kg

DO Cariñena:

The pattern was similar for Cariñena with hot, dry conditions right through harvest and lower yields as a result. Vines in cooler areas of the DO or those benefiting from irrigation generally fared better.

2011 harvest: 70.1 million kg, 3.4% less than in 2010 and around 10% less than the average of the last 10 years (78 million kg). The leading varieties for the DO are Garnacha (21 million kg), Tempranillo (19 million kg) and Cabernet Sauvignon followed by Syrah, Merlot and Cariñena. White varieties, led by Macabeo but also including Chardonnay and Moscatel, play a minor role for the DO.

DO Somontano:

The cooler northern region of Somontano brought in a smaller crop than in 2010. There was ample and typical rainfall during winter and spring which got the growing season off to a good start but a dry summer kept yields in check and led to an early harvest. Later ripening varieties such as Cabernet and Garnacha fared better than earlier ripening grapes including Chardonnay and Merlot.

2011 harvest: 17.9 million kg (9% less than in 2010) led by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo and Chardonnay.

5. North-central regions

DO La Mancha:

Growers in Spain’s largest DO started to harvest early-maturing white varieties as soon as the first two weeks of August in some cases. However, unlike other years, this wasn’t due to accelerated ripening in the later stages of the growing season but had more to do with early bud break and no setbacks during the early stages of vine development.

Dry conditions resulted in healthy grapes and adequate rainfall during the year meant that vines could withstand the lack of summer rainfall.

Overall volumes are down by 15%, but fruit quality is said to be good across the board with reports of balanced acidity and alcohol levels which are generally higher than last year.

DO Méntrida and DO Vinos de Madrid:

Yields were modest for both regions. Generous spring rains benefited the first stages of vine growth but later rain during flowering and fruit set significantly reduced the yield for Garnacha. In contrast, towards harvest the lack of rain was reducing the yield: “The grapes were very healthy but we were seeing some dehydration in the berries – around 30% - so we had to select very carefully both in the vineyard and later in the winery. We brought in about 50% less grapes,” said Dani Jiménez who makes wines in both regions. While the quantity disappoints, he sees good potential quality in the 2011 vintage: “The wines have good colour, more structure and tannin and there’s also good acidity and low pH levels. There could be more ageing potential in this year’s wines compared to previous vintages.”

Sadly the birds took a liking to the local white variety Albillo which is enjoying a revival in the Madrid region. There will be some wine but not much this year.

2011 harvest in DO Vinos de Madrid: 15 million kg

6. Catalonia and the south-east

DO Catalunya:

The harvest dates for DO Catalunya were around a week earlier than usual after an exceptionally dry summer and high temperatures that continued well into September. The dry conditions, in total contrast to the rain and hail of 2010, kept vineyards free from mildew resulting in a healthy crop. Grapes typically showed full ripeness and high potential alcohol levels. Later ripening varieties showed low acidity levels in some cases due to hot weather during the harvest.

2011 harvest: 30 million kg (the figure was very similar in 2010)

Priorat and Montsant

DOCa Priorat:

In Priorat harvest started with white varieties in the second half of August and finished two months later when the last of the later ripening Cariñena grapes were picked.

From early summer the weather pattern was erratic and unpredictable keeping growers and producers on their toes. Looking back at the key aspects of the year Álvaro Palacios observes: “Fine spring weather with regular rainfall gave way to a very hot June. However, July was one of the coldest of the last 60 years and this will define the vintage to a certain degree.” But, Palacios believes, the “immense heat” and lack of rain week after week from August to October will largely influence the outcome of this year’s harvest which was 10-15 days earlier than usual. “We always look for complete maturity in the grapes but we had to avoid dehydrated fruit so a meticulous selection of the grapes was required.”

In both Priorat (and the Rioja Baja) Palacios describes wines with great structure, concentration, high alcohol levels and good acidity especially for Garnacha.

At Scala Dei, Ricard Rofes shares a similar view. He expects “powerful and fleshy wines marked by a hot vintage which will be refreshed by Garnachas from higher vineyards and clay soils”.

2011 harvest: Just over 5 million kg. Garnacha accounted for 42% of the crop and Cariñena 20%. White varieties (5%) and other red varieties such as Cabernet and Merlot made up the rest.

DO Montsant’s crop is expected to total around 8 million kg. Garnacha and Cariñena represent 95% of the crop this year.

DO Jumilla:

Heavy autumn rains can be problematic during the later stages of harvest in Jumilla, especially for Monastrell which is the last variety to be picked in October. But this year there was noticeably less rain: “We only had one day of rain at this point in the harvest, the rest of the time it was fine and sunny which allowed us to pick Monastrell at optimum ripeness. We haven’t managed to pick Monastrell so late for five years and the quality was superb – not just for us but for others as well. We’ve even managed to make late harvest wines, the first since 2005,” said María José Velázquez of Bodegas Los Frailes.

2011 harvest: The crop is expected to be 20% lower than 2010 to stand at around 66 million kg largely due to a hail storm in May which affected vineyards in the northern area of the DO.

7. The south: Sherry

DO Jerez:

After generally good climatic conditions during the year and favourable harvest conditions this year’s crop for Jerez totalled 64.3 million kg, 7.7% less than 2010. The decrease was largely due a fall in the number of hectares in production – the current 7,700 hectares is around 1,000 less than 2010 – as supply gradually comes into line with the demand for Sherry.