BODEGAS LANGA BEGINS ITS EARLIEST HARVEST IN ITS 150 YEARS OF EXISTENCE

If there is one thing that distinguishes the harvest of native Garnacha grapes from the Calatayud producing area, it is that it is the latest in Aragon and Spain. This is especially true for the red Garnacha. With the coming of autumn, it often starts at the end of September and might last until October. This uniqueness is mostly attributable to the perfect adaptation of this variety to the orographic circumstances and the harsh climate, which includes extremely hot summers and severe, dry winters, that are prevalent in the region.

Bodegas Langa started the 2023 harvest with its white grape type Chardonnay two weeks earlier than usual due to the higher temperatures observed this year throughout the peninsula, as we revealed at the end of August 2023. The fruit was at the height of its organoleptic qualities; therefore, the drought caused the grapes to ripen more quickly without degrading their quality.

For the first time in their history, they have also advanced the Garnacha variety’s harvest to start on last Monday, September 11, 2023, which is a highly unusual date. As was the case with their Chardonnay variety, it arrived two weeks sooner than anticipated. The latest rains in Calatayud last week have also improved the forecasts, so a normal harvest in volume and optimal quality is expected, similar to last year.

The lack of rain and the intense heat have caused the fruits to not ripen uniformly, which has complicated the year for the wine industry, according to Bodegas Langa. As a result, they decided to move the harvest forward in order to produce fresher and more aromatic wines. The absence of humidity, which is a direct result of the drought, has allowed for the start of the Garnacha harvest with excellently healthy grapes and vines because potential fungal damage has been averted.

César Langa, technical director of Bodegas Langa, also reveals a characteristic of his vineyard located in El Frasno that makes it unique. The “Jumandil” -a typical wind of the area that dries the leaves quickly- prevents fungi from proliferating when it rains because of the heat and humidity.

He is therefore quite enthusiastic about the 2023 vintage since it will produce wines with a distinctive individuality and a different flavor profile than previous ones. “This is what winemaking is all about, trying to bring the real picture of the field to the glass,” he concludes.