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Cantrina Ventennale

Cantrina, a 20-year-old taste

posted on 13 June 2019
After numerous seasons marked by a warm spring that was so early that it brought budbreak significantly forward, we are finally seeing a textbook spring. In fact, after a particularly dry, not very cold winter, April ushered in a long, cool, rainy period that considerably slowed down vine growth, so much so that flowering occurred some two weeks later than the previous season. Overall, the outlook is positive, though, and predictions at this point, if there are no surprises!, are for a harvest kickoff no earlier than the first days of September, even for the early-ripening varieties.Of course, the high humidity of the past months and the frequent rains have presented an additional challenge for growers like ourselves, since we farm organically, but the expertise that we have built up over the five years that we have followed this philosophy have enabled us to manage the vineyards in the best possible fashion. We will shortly be finishing our green pruning (selecting the most promising buds, thinning and tying up the shoots, leaf-pulling), and next month we will, if necessary, reduce the number of clusters for optimal development of the remaining ones.With regard to the wines, we are just about to bottle Riné 2018, Zerdì 2017, and Groppello 2018, all of them certified organic.
20th milestone:
On 13 May, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our winery with a vertical tasting showcasing the three wines that, from our founding to the present, have become iconic. We selected the vintages of each that are most representative of the evolution of the blends, production methods, and ageing.
The years tasted are:

- Riné (1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2013, 2017)
- Nepomuceno (1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2015)
- Sole di Dario (1999, 2001, 2006, 2009, 2012)

It was truly exciting to re-taste the 1999 wines. We knew, of course, that we were producing age-worthy wines, but we didn’t know that that could be so surprising—so crisp, complex, and intriguing, as only a well-matured wine can be….
Have a look to our gallery 20th milestone.

Harvest in Cantrina

posted on 8 October 2009
Here we are almost at the end of the harvest (we still have to pick just a tiny part of our grapes and press those that we have set aside for drying) and so, strange as it may seem, it’s time to take stock of the overall situation once again. It was a precocious harvest for the early-ripening grapes (Pinot Nero, Chardonnay and Sauvignon), due to early flowering in the spring and very favourable weather during the summer. The picking time for Merlot, Rebo and Marzemino was more in line with the norm, thanks to a fine September with cool nights and rain-free days. The health of the grapes and the first analyses of the new wines allow us to rate 2009 as a good year. Only time will tell us whether it will be an excellent vintage: yes, time, which is much more truthful than all those exaggerated proclamations we tend to be bombarded with each year as the harvest approaches…

Let’s talk about…Vinitaly 2009

posted on 20 March 2009
vendemmia 2019
Here we are getting ready for Vinitaly 2009, even if it seems to us less and less like a fair that is appropriate for small producers like ourselves: amid all the hustle and bustle of this great event it is difficult to explain to people about our “open-minded exercice de style”. This year, therefore, we are concentrating on alternative methods of getting together with our friends (let’s hear from you!). However, if you are at Vinitaly on 2nd and 3rd April you can find us in the Lombardy pavilion in the PalaExpo on stand C7. If you so desire, we will be able to give you more details about our new releases, which we will merely outline below: Groppello, an indigenous grape variety of the Valtènesi, has become a part of Cantina’s range; with the 2008 vintage we have sought to express and interpret the potential of this cultivar in line with our particular philosophy of production. Rinè 2007 will have a new label, which will also reflect a few small changes we have made in the wine itself. Incrocio Manzoni is the new grape variety that gives this wine a stronger identity.

Cantrina from the old to the new year

posted on 20 January 2009
2008 is now just a memory: it gave us cause for concern with its rains in the spring and then cause for satisfaction with a late summer and early autumn that were ideal for ripening the grapes. The harvest then took place in cool, dry weather conditions: this, together with our efforts to keep down yields, allowed us to pick healthy grapes with a good sugar/acid balance. The resulting wines combine concentration with very fresh aromas and flavours, suggesting that they will have excellent ageing potential. 2008 was also a year for reflection. We thought long and hard about the type of wines we produce, constantly asking ourselves the same questions: “Can we express our terroir even without using indigenous grapes?” and “Can we demonstrate that quality and personality are independent of autochthony?”
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