Vintage Report 2022
Winemaking Year 2022 – Toplou, Sitia
(Vineyard of the Holy Monastery of Toplou)
Summary
2022 was a year that tested the vineyard’s resilience, but rewarded us with quality. Growth started later, ripening progressed with patience, and the result was balanced grapes and wines with structure and ageing potential.
1) Weather footprint of the year
The growing season (April–September) was marked by extremely dry conditions in our vineyard. At the same time, westerly winds were a steady feature of the summer, contributing to milder heat peaks and good grape health, while increasing evapotranspiration pressure on the vines.
2) Impact on the vineyard
Vine development was late, and ripening was slow, which ultimately worked in favor of quality. Disease pressure was generally limited; there were incidents of powdery mildew and grape berry moth (Lobesia botrana), which were handled effectively.
3) Quantitative picture
Production moved upwards (depending on the variety). The year showed that when the vine withstands water stress, slow ripening can deliver fruit with real character.
4) Quality picture / Wine profile 2022
The 2022 wines show body, complexity, and high acidity. These are wines with serious structure that improve with time and reward ageing.
5) Technical Appendix (climatology data – monitoplou)
Source: Annual summary of the monitoplou meteorological station (Annual Climatological Summary 2022).
Rainfall
Annual rainfall total (2022): 386.1 mm
Rainfall Apr–Sep (2022): 4.8 mm
(Apr 0.2, May 1.4, Jun 0.0, Jul 0.0, Aug 3.0, Sep 0.2)
Wind
Prevailing wind direction: Westerly (W)
Average wind speed (AVG): Jun 23.2 km/h, Jul 29.2 km/h, Aug 21.0 km/h
Temperatures
Absolute maximum temperature: 34.9°C (29/05)
Days with ≥32°C: 6
Note
These figures refer to our station/vineyard and describe the microclimate of our site, not “all of Sitia”.