The 2024 harvest has come to a close, marking the end of yet another challenging season. Despite unpredictable weather and nature’s constant demands, we approached this year’s harvest with the same unwavering commitment. While the world around us evolves rapidly, Scarpa’s vision remains constant – anchored in quality, elegance, and attention to detail. To dive deeper into this unique vintage, we spoke with Silvio Trinchero, Scarpa’s head winemaker since 2007, and Carlo Castino, a cornerstone of the winery’s history. Together, they reflect on how the 2024 season unfolded and share insights into how the work in the vineyard and cellar tackled the challenges of 2024 – and how, despite all the changes, care remains at the heart of our philosophy.
Silvio, let’s start with the classic question: how would you describe the 2024 vintage?
It’s no exaggeration to say this has been the most challenging vintage I’ve experienced since joining Scarpa. The weather was anything but ordinary, with frequent and heavy rains. After two very dry years, the rainfall was much needed – but the sheer volume brought its own set of challenges. As of today, we’ve had over 1000 mm of rain – more than double last year’s total!
The unpredictable weather forced us to adjust our harvest plans repeatedly, especially with Nebbiolo, to bring in the fruit before conditions deteriorated further. This year demanded intuition and interpretation. It reminded me of 2014, but while that vintage saw summer storms, this year’s heavy rain started back in March.
It wasn’t an easy harvest, but we made it work! We had to seize every opportunity, chasing brief windows of good weather to get the fruit in. In a year like this, vineyard management and site selection make all the difference. In easier years, grapes ripen well across the board; in tough years, careful selection becomes essential.
How did you manage things in the vineyard?
This year felt like stepping back in time. We had to open up the grape clusters to help them dry after the heavy rains. The intense heat between July and August also required careful thinning to protect the fruit from sun damage. Later, in late August and early September, fresh rains caused the Barbera grapes to swell again, so we did another light pass to remove a bit more.
Ultimately, the same principle applies every year: you need to stay vigilant and present in the vineyard.
What about in the winery? Any early impressions of this vintage?
Our winemaking always adapts to what the vineyard gives us. This year, healthy grapes were the priority, more than ever. Compared to other vintages, the biggest difference was in maceration times. The prolonged rain led to thinner grape skins, so we handled them more gently. At Scarpa, we never over-extract – we always aim for delicate extraction – but this year we took an even lighter approach.
Fermentation is still ongoing, but early signs are promising. These wines won’t have the structure of hotter vintages, but they’re shaping up to be elegant, refined, and reminiscent of vintages from another era.
So, rigor, care, and elegance – Scarpa’s trademarks. But a lot has changed since Carlo’s time, hasn’t it?
It’s hard to make direct comparisons between the wines of today and those Carlo crafted. Market preferences have shifted, but elegance has always been central to our philosophy. Even when it wasn’t trendy, we focused on balance, freshness, and finesse – and today, that approach is celebrated.
The biggest changes have been in the vineyard. Today, we work less but more effectively. Rhythms have changed – we now harvest Barbera nearly three weeks earlier than in the past to avoid overly concentrated wines. For us, acidity has never been a limitation; on the contrary, we’ve always favored long aging to develop complexity in the wines – and acidity plays a key role in achieving that.
As for Nebbiolo, managing phenolic ripeness is critical, which means we can’t harvest it too early. Barbera, on the other hand, has adapted better to climate change – it’s a more versatile and resilient grape variety. Today, we produce wines that are far more structured than what they used to be, but thanks to good acidity, the structure is balanced, and the wines remain fresh and agile.
In recent years, large casks – another cornerstone of our method – have come back into favor. A small change we’ve made concerns the aging period: we’ve gradually reduced it, shifting from 36 months to around 28–30 months. While we use large casks, which are less invasive than barriques, a shorter aging period helps preserve greater freshness and finesse in the wines – qualities that are fundamental to our approach. At the same time, we’ve placed more emphasis on bottle aging before release. This extra time in the bottle allows the wines to harmonize and further develop their elegance.
Overall, our vision remains unchanged: protecting the vineyard, which is the foundation of quality.
Consistent care for the vineyard brings benefits both in the short and long term. We know we’re stewards of an incredibly valuable legacy, and we want to safeguard it as best we can. We avoid pushing production too hard, preferring to keep the vines as balanced as possible. This year, despite the challenges they brought, the heavy rains were actually a big help in restoring balance, replenishing the soil’s water reserves – a boost that will be invaluable in the future.
Beyond that, our approach focuses on practices that promote the health of the soil and the vines. These include planting cover crops to keep the soil rich in organic matter, maintaining grass cover between rows, and breaking up the surface crust of the soil to improve water absorption and reduce erosion.
Carlo, as Scarpa’s living memory, how does this compare to harvests in your time?
Oh, it was a completely different world! Today, we often face extreme heat, but in my day, it was the opposite – too much rain, not enough sun, and much later harvests.
We used to start picking Moscato around September 15, Brachetto on the 20th, Ruchè on the 24th, Dolcetto on the 26th, and Barbera for La Bogliona around October 10. Nebbiolo, though, was always picked in late October. I remember an old saying from the Langhe: ‘Woe to those who harvest Nebbiolo in September!’ Back then, the local farmers were the true masters of viticulture – they were our ultimate mentors.
Any vintages that stand out in your memory?
Plenty! I’ll never forget 1961 – low yields but extraordinary quality. Then there was 1964, which was abundant and equally exceptional. The ‘70s brought some challenging years, but I remember 1974 vividly, and 1978 – 80cm of snow in the winter, very heavy rains in the spring decimating the yields, but a stunning autumn that gifted us a Barbaresco that remains unmatched to this day.
Then there’s 1985, a harvest I remember as if it were yesterday: there wasn’t much fruit, but the day was stunning, with a sky full of vibrant colors – it was an excellent vintage. More recently, standout years like 1990, 1997, 2001, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2021 come to mind. Silvio is too modest to say it, but 2007 – his first vintage with us – was phenomenal. Every decade has its stars, but honestly? In the past, maybe four out of ten harvests were great, as for the rest – if only they’d been like the ones we have now!
What were the most transformative changes you’ve seen over the decades?
From the 2000s onward, Barbera and La Bogliona truly came into their own. When I was younger, Barbera was racked with a total acidity of 13 per thousand, whereas today we’re at about 8.5 to 9. Back then, it required long aging in Slavonian oak to refine. With the turn of the millennium, producers finally recognized Barbera as an exceptional grape capable of producing outstanding wines, and we all worked hard to elevate it. We moved away from barriques, and then came the major breakthrough of appellation designations, which really made a difference.
Technology has been a game-changer too – for instance, the amazing Barbaresco from 1974 was still pressed with the old wooden Garrolla press! Today, the equipment is completely different – the introduction of the destemmer-crusher alone was a game-changer, and you can really see and feel the difference. The wines are less rough and tannic. In 2001, we introduced vinification in wooden truncated conical vats, a brilliant move that further improved quality. But the core philosophy hasn’t changed: quality comes from nature, and it’s all about handling it with the utmost care.
How does it feel to see Scarpa today?
Every day, I go down to check on the winery, and I feel proud. I see the dream I’ve always hoped to achieve – I may have reached it after retiring, but that’s fine with me: the dream of having crus for Barolo and Barbaresco. Today, I see the winery thrive; Scarpa has weathered decades of change without losing its soul, and that’s no small feat.
Finally, what advice would you give for the future?
The story he shared encompasses everything I’ve always believed in, and it perfectly reflects his character.
The only thing Silvio needs to do from here on out is keep working the way he always has – putting the health of the vineyard first and, above all, infusing the wine with passion and love. But I have no doubt he’ll do that. He’s got the grit it takes – have you noticed? He’s a true langhetto – grounded, resilient, and determined.
