{"id":11742,"date":"2026-02-20T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/lavori-in-cantina-i-tagli-le-scelte-e-le-nuove-annate-a-dianella"},"modified":"2026-08-22T22:37:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T20:37:10","slug":"lavori-in-cantina-i-tagli-le-scelte-e-le-nuove-annate-a-dianella","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/lavori-in-cantina-i-tagli-le-scelte-e-le-nuove-annate-a-dianella","title":{"rendered":"Cellar Work: Blending, Decisions and New Vintages at Dianella"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">When people talk about wine, attention almost always focuses on the harvest.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">But a decisive part of the work begins afterwards.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Between January and March, while outside the vines are dormant, the cellar enters a delicate phase: <strong>blending, tasting, decisions about the new vintages<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s a quiet moment. Not spectacular.<br \/>\nBut this is where a wine takes its final shape.<\/p>\n<p><picture><source type=\"image\/avif\" srcset=\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-6.avif 1x\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-6.webp 1x\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-6-1920x0.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\"><\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>What \u201cBlending\u201d Means<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The term can sound technical. In reality it&#8217;s simple:<br \/>\n\u201cblending\u201d means deciding how to assemble the different batches of wine.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">During harvest and winemaking, the grapes are processed by plot, by variety, sometimes by micro-zone. Each tank tells a different story:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>a more structured Sangiovese<\/li>\n<li>a fresher batch<\/li>\n<li>a selection with firmer tannins<\/li>\n<li>a more floral lot<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The work at this stage is about understanding how to combine these parts to achieve balance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s not about \u201cimproving\u201d the wine.<br \/>\nIt&#8217;s about respecting it and putting it in a position to express itself at its best.<\/p>\n<p><picture><source type=\"image\/avif\" srcset=\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/VillaDianella_set_055-1-scaled-1.avif 1x\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/VillaDianella_set_055-1-scaled-1.webp 1x\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/VillaDianella_set_055-1-scaled-1-1920x0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1708\" height=\"2560\"><\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Tasting as a Working Tool<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">In winter the cellar turns into a technical tasting room.<br \/>\nThere&#8217;s a lot of tasting. Notes are taken. Samples are compared.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s not a romantic moment. It&#8217;s analysis.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">What&#8217;s assessed:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>acidity<\/li>\n<li>tannic structure<\/li>\n<li>aromatic profile<\/li>\n<li>balance between alcohol and freshness<\/li>\n<li>ageing potential<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some wines are already ready to be defined.<br \/>\nOthers need time in wood or steel to find harmony.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every vintage is different. And this is even more true after climatically challenging seasons.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The 2025 Season and First Impressions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">After a cold spring and a summer with sudden heat spikes, the grapes showed very interesting characteristics:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>good concentration<\/li>\n<li>well-preserved acidity<\/li>\n<li>not excessive ripeness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The batches in the cellar are evolving cleanly.<br \/>\nSangiovese, in particular, shows a fine tannic weave and good energy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s too early to fully define the profile of the new vintages, but the foundations are solid.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Steel, Concrete, Wood: What Happens Now<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is also when the fate of each wine is decided.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some batches stay in steel to preserve:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>freshness<\/li>\n<li>tension<\/li>\n<li>aromatic precision<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Others continue ageing in:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>barriques<\/li>\n<li>tonneaux<\/li>\n<li>large casks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The choice of wood is never automatic.<br \/>\nIt depends on the character of the wine.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">A more vertical Sangiovese may only need time, not extra structure.<br \/>\nA more concentrated wine, on the other hand, can find balance through a well-measured passage in wood.<\/p>\n<p><picture><source type=\"image\/avif\" srcset=\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/VillaDianella_set_056-1-scaled-1.avif 1x\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/VillaDianella_set_056-1-scaled-1.webp 1x\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/VillaDianella_set_056-1-scaled-1-1920x0.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1708\" height=\"2560\"><\/picture><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>The New Vintages: What to Expect<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The blending work leads to defining the new releases.<br \/>\nSome wines will see the light in the coming months. Others will require more patience.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The new vintages will be characterised by:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>balance rather than power<\/li>\n<li>evident freshness<\/li>\n<li>clean aromatic definition<\/li>\n<li>less aggressive tannins compared to very hot vintages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s not a \u201cmuscular\u201d harvest.<br \/>\nIt&#8217;s a harvest aiming for precision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>A Team Effort<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The cellar is never the work of just one person.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">From the vineyard to fermentation, right through to the final blends, every stage is connected.<br \/>\nThe choices made today reflect decisions taken months earlier among the vine rows.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The principle always stays the same:<br \/>\n<strong>wines are born in the vineyard, but they&#8217;re defined in the cellar.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">And defining means having the courage to:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>take away, not add<\/li>\n<li>wait, not rush<\/li>\n<li>accept the character of the vintage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\"><strong>Why This Moment Is So Important<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many people think a wine&#8217;s quality is already decided at harvest time.<br \/>\nThat&#8217;s partly true. But without careful decisions in the cellar, that potential can remain unfulfilled.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The blending period is when you build:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n<li>stylistic consistency<\/li>\n<li>estate identity<\/li>\n<li>the wine&#8217;s recognisability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400\">It&#8217;s the moment when you decide what will be ready sooner and what instead deserves to rest a little longer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When people talk about wine, attention almost always focuses on the harvest. But a decisive part of the work begins afterwards. Between January and March, while outside the vines are&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_fp_seo_title":"Cellar Work: Blending and New Vintages | Villa Dianella","_fp_seo_meta_description":"Between January and March, Villa Dianella's cellar enters its blending and tasting phase, shaping the character of its new vintages.","_fp_seo_focus_keyword":"","_fp_seo_meta_canonical":"","_fp_seo_meta_robots":"","_fp_seo_geo_claims":"","_fp_seo_geo_expose":"","_fp_seo_geo_no_ai_reuse":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"Lavori in Cantina: Tagli e Nuove Annate a Dianella","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"I lavori in cantina a Villa Dianella: i tagli, le scelte enologiche e le nuove annate dei vini biologici. Il dietro le quinte della vinificazione a Vinci.","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"lavori cantina tagli annate Dianella","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_product_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":""},"categories":[484,1733],"tags":[1669,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886],"class_list":["post-11742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news-en","category-vini-cantina-en","tag-sangiovese-toscana-en","tag-cantina-villa-dianella-en","tag-nuove-annate-vino-en","tag-vendemmia-2025-en","tag-lavori-in-cantina-en","tag-tagli-del-vino-en","tag-vinificazione-toscana-en","tag-affinamento-in-legno-en","tag-vino-biologico-toscana-en","tag-assemblaggio-vino-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11742"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11750,"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11742\/revisions\/11750"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/villadianella.it\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}