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Let’s meet in Cantrina

posted on 1 April 2010
LIBERO ESERCIZIO DI STILE 2009 We keep on experimenting at Cantrina and in 2009 it was the turn of a tank of Roséobtained from the vinification of 100% Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) grapes. At the moment, fruit and freshness are the main characteristics of this wine. The must was in contact with the skins for about 9 hours, followed by careful vinification and maturation in stainless steel. In our opinion it is a wine that has good potential for development: we’d like to see what it’s like in a year’s time… after all, we’re talking about a rosé made from a well-structured grape like Pinot Nero. By the way, the wine is already on sale. VINITALY 2010 We have decided not to take part in VINITALY this year, preferring to choose other options. We are well aware that Vinitaly is a very important showcase, but we believe that it is also true that small companies with limited production like ours need to market themselves in a different way, in an environment that is less dispersive and more intimate, and in which one can focus better on the unique and distinctive characteristics that make us special. We will therefore be very happy to welcome you here at the winery (please make an appointment, though): we are less than 45 minutes away from the Fair by car, but if necessary we can meet at Vinitaly where we have friends who are happy to let us “take advantage” of their stand. You will be able to taste some of Cantrina’s wines anyway on the Consorzio Garda Classico stand in the Lombardy Pavilion in the Pala Expo. THE NEXT RELEASES Following the very well-received release of Cantrina’s first Groppello from the 2008 vintage, in May 2010 we will come out with our Groppello 2009. It promises well, as this latest vintage too has given us a wine in line with our expectations as regards cleanliness, elegance, fruit and a style that makes for easy drinking without being in the least bit banal. We are also just about to offer Eretico 2007 (produced from semi-dried Pinot Nero grapes) which – to our great satisfaction – strikes a perfect balance between the two previous vintages, 2003 and 2005: it is a wine whose original style makes it really stand out from the crowd. AN AD LIB TASTING… It is always a pleasure welcoming guests to the winery, especially when their visit is absolutely informal and does necessarily conform to a pre-established programme. On 17th February, together with a goodly number of expert friends and customers, we tasted all the vintages of our wines that Cantrina currently has for sale, or which are just about to be put on the market. It was also an opportunity to go slightly “over the top”… we opened up a bottle of 2002 Rinè from our private stocks and the comments were nothing if not enthusiastic… Cristina e 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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