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cantrinavendemmia2019

Harvest 2019

posted on 18 November 2019
Autumn has FINALLY arrived. The long and hot Summer 2019, which lasted till October, is now behind us. Now, the weather is inviting us to stay a bit in the house (or in the cellar) and is helping us to think straight…. That past season was, here in our area, one of the strangest and most complicated within recent memory. We found ourselves having to face conditions that were simultaneously both extreme and contradictory. The cold and rains during flowering caused a reduction in the potential crop, and two hailstorms in June and early August caused even worse damage, since they actually halved the crop. Fortunately, we were able to enjoy some fine weather between mid-August and mid-September, that provided the opportunity of gathering good quality fruit for our Sole di Dario and for prioritising production of our crispest wines Rosanoire, Chiaretto, Riné, and Groppello. We are particularly happy with those results. The results for the red wines, on the other hand, are somewhat less clear. To make a great red wine in the most natural manner possible, the grapes must be in absolutely healthy condition, especially the skins, that makes it possible to hold off on starting the harvest. Despite all our efforts, however, we finally decided that it would not be possible to produce the Nepomuceno 2019. One of our first “winemaking gurus” said that the quality, and the “staying power” of a winery depended also on the amount of a winery’s reserve that you can draw on when necessary. That is what makes it possible for us to skip some vintages and draw on the production of better years. Therefore, we will not compromise quality, and we will not make the Nepomuceno 2019, knowing that we can rely on the supply of the excellent last three vintages.
OLDER VINTAGES
It has been our tradition, amply justified by our tasting in May (https://www.cantrina.it/en/2019/06/12/cantrina-una-degustazione-lunga-ventanni-2/), to gather a number of bottles and/or magnums of our oldest vintages. Those of you who might be interested in them can contact us about availability and prices by writing us at info@cantrina.it.
WINEGROWERS MARKETPLACE – FIVI
The main news this year is that the Mercato dei Vignaioli will last three days, extending into Monday, making it possible for industry professionals to attend the event. So, join us over 23-24-25 November at our usual spot: Padiglione del Piacenza Expo, aisle B, number 41. We’ll be waiting for you!
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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