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Hail devastates Brunello crop
August 26, 2008
Kerin O'Keefe
A hailstorm accompanied by 100km winds devastated much of Montalcino's Brunello crop earlier this month.
Producers throughout Tuscany's most celebrated region were affected, with the denomination's southern hamlet of Sant'Angelo in Colle taking the brunt of the storm on 15 August.
The hamlet is home to some of the area's largest producers including Tenuta Il Poggione, which has reportedly lost 35% of its crop to the storm.
Francesco Marone Cinzano, owner of Col d'Orcia said it was the worst storm to hit Montalcino in decades.
'The storm was unusual for both its size and its strength. Hailstorms here usually hit small pockets of the production zone while this hit all the way from Sant'Angelo up to Mt Amiata.
'And it was accompanied by fierce winds. It was absolutely the worst storm to hit in the last thirty-years,' he told decanter.com.
He added it was difficult to assess the damage at this stage. While some producers lost everything, in other cases around 20% of the crop had been lost.
The surviving grapes, Cinzano said, 'are still of exceptional quality, and we now have to hope that it will be dry to avoid any further damage such as rot.'
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