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November 8, 2024 | Newsletters | Raffaldini Vineyards

A Special Note From Jay Raffaldini

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Ciao Everyone,

I hope this note finds you happy, healthy and excited to share the holidays with loved ones. I have no doubt this has been an eventful year for most of us so slowing down and enjoying the quiet moments should be our pursuit.

The reason for this writing is to discuss last year’s harvest which we call the 2023 Vintage. When I purchased an abandoned farm nearly twenty-four years ago it was with a vision to make classically dry Italian style wines that could rival the best in Italy. In the past we have come close to that goal with our wines routinely rated at 91-93 points by some of the most experienced wine critics in the world. However, the 94-97 points threshold which is the classification level for outstanding wines have generally eluded us…until now.

Quite simply the 23 vintage wines are absolutely stunning with elegance, structure and immense power. For this to come about three things needed to happen simultaneously. First, we practiced effective vineyard management which meant dropping fruit to the ground early in the growing season not to overburden the vines and allow for optimal slow ripening. Secondly, we made a critical change in our Fruttaio drying rooms that greatly increased the drying speed thus allowing us to put every red grape through the Appassimento drying process. Lastly, we had ideal weather with rain when we needed it and more importantly sunny and dry days in August and September. I am quite confident that these wines will reach that outstanding level.

When my winemaker Chris and I sat down to taste the wines and prepare for some initial blending trials it became apparent that these wines are still evolving and need more time. Said another way we are struggling to understand their direction of travel, which is made quite difficult given their complexity. So, we made the decision not to release these wines next year and break the cycle of offering reds every two years. This has two important consequences. By pushing the release of the 2023 vintage to 2026 Chris and I have time to figure out how to handle these exceptional wines. Related to this decision, every red vintage thereafter will, by definition, become available on a three-year cycle. I am very pleased with this outcome as our red wines generally need more time given the multifaceted structure that is generated by the Appassimento drying process.

The other consequence is more immediate – what do we release next year? After some discussion Chris and I decided to blend in the remaining 21 and 22 vintages with just a hint of the 23. Because we are using multiple years, we are required to declare the next red wine release an NV – which stands for non-vintage. The challenge is there is not much wine remaining so we are going to do the best we can to satisfy your demand but unfortunately, we will probably sell out before the 23s are ready. It is a price we are willing to pay in pursuit of making the best wines our efforts and exertions allow us.

Thank you for your support on the journey and Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.

Jay

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Raffaldini Vineyards and Winery LLC

A Special Note From Jay Raffaldini

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