The grape harvest: the crucial moment
The scrupulous respect for the quality of the grapes grown on Finca Loranque resides in the moment of the harvest. Each grove is harvested by hand by a team of grape harvesters who has worked on the estate since 2002 and under the management of Miguel García Pinzón, the field manager.
To elaborate a great wine the grapes not only have to reach the best degree of ripeness, they also have to be whole, healthy and clean. It is necessary to make sure the fruit is not damaged or rotten, and care must be taken not to mix leaves or shoots...
The only way to harvest grapes that complies with all the requirements is to harvest them with care and attention by hand, after making a previous selection in order to ensure only the best grapes are gathered. Furthermore, hand harvesting with the whole clusters that have been chosen offers us the possibility to carry out a second selection in the winery, which is far more thorough than the one carried out in the vineyard.
To ensure the clusters reach the winery intact (the furthest grove is no more than 45 minutes away) we use plastic crates that can hold 15 kilos, which are placed in a circle inside the trailer of the tractor, ensuring no must is lost.
Expert wine harvesters make a first selection in the field, only picking the grapes that comply with the established criteria of quality. The days start at dawn and end when the weather gets too hot, in order to prevent the grapes from heating up.
The selection: the best way to guarantee quality
When the grapes reach the reception area they are taken to a selection table where eight people will decide whether the clusters are suitable for vinification. These people have worked for Finca Loranque ever since the beginning of the project, so they are perfectly aware of the type of grapes the oenologist wants for the wine. A slow and conscientious task that will mark the final quality of the harvest.
The grapes are entered inside the winery in different ways, always paying attention to the particular characteristics of each vintage. Once the fruit is inside the tanks, fermentation will take place with constantly controlled temperature, pumping over every day and carrying out exhaustive tests of the analytical parameters.
Nowadays, sustainable viticulture is the motto that governs the care of the vineyards in Finca Loranque. Respect for the surroundings is both an asset for the quality of the wines and the preservation of the environment.