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Vendemmia 2020 Cantrina

Harvest 2020

posted on 2 September 2020

We’re just about there....

This year, too, we’re almost into harvest. That despite a winter that was among the warmest and driest in memory, despite the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown, decked out in gloves and masks; despite the late spring and near-rainless summer; despite hail here and there that did some damage; despite the ultra-vigorous foliage in the vineyards that made us re-double our efforts to ward off fungal attacks and carefully monitor the crop; and despite all the large and small problems that we have to always confront every day “on the grape-growing front”. And of course, every year many of our friends ask us, with equal parts of both eagerness and worry, “How will the wine be this year?” From all those “despites” in the first paragraph you can understand that this has not been an easy year by any means, especially for those like us who farm organically. At the moment, it certainly does not appear to be one of the better growing years, even though a lot will depend on the weather from this point on. If we are granted good weather, there could be some pleasant surprises for us, particularly with the later-ripening red grapes, which we thinned very heavily this year. So, we could end up with a vintage characterised more by crisp acidities and suppleness than by concentration and power, with the wines a bit a bit slighter, but, if we take great care, still delicious and easy-drinking. So, we’re waiting and keeping our fingers crossed. What we have to do is keep concentrated, and exercise painstaking attention in bringing in the finest grapes we can, and in vinifying them with the utmost respect. That done, time will eventually make known its own unique and infallible judgement!

New Website! Our real news is that our website, Cantrina, has put on some fancy new clothes! You might already have seen our new graphics if you’ve visited it recently. We wanted it to be fresher, clearer, and more contemporary in the way we communicate certain important values that underly our winegrowing philosophy—the artisanal quality of our winemaking, our commitment to organic viticulture, and above all the creativity that contributes to making our wines truly unique, with distinctive personalities. So, it’s no accident that the graphics concept of our new website is “made at Cantrina.” A shoutout to Tommaso Pasini, who transformed Cristina’s artistic bent into code and movement. ack, on t We would love to hear your feedbhe site’s flow, too, and on whether the concepts “leap out.

Write us! Cristina and Diego

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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