Cantarina: the singing cricket of Bierzo
Bierzo sits in the northwest of Spain, in the province of León, and its whole reputation rests on a distinctive native grape: Mencía. Where Rioja and Ribera del Duero mean Tempranillo, and a lot of traditional Spanish red still means heavy oak, Mencía tends toward something fresher and more crunchy, closer in spirit to Beaujolais or a lighter Pinot Noir than to a big, oaky red.
Cantarina at a Glance
- Location: near Villafranca del Bierzo, DO Bierzo, Spain
- Founder & Winemaker: Ysart Alvarez de Toledo Family
- Vineyard area: 13 Hectares
- Generation: Third-generation family winery
- Speciality: Reclaimed old-vine parcels, vinified parcel by parcel
- Signature Style: Pure, indigenous-yeast wines: century-old-vine whites and fresh, crunchy Mencía reds
Bringing the old vineyards home
Cantarina, "the singing cricket," is a family winery near Villafranca del Bierzo, on the route of the Camino de Santiago, now in its third generation. For years, some of the family's oldest vineyards had been sold off to bigger producers. Cantarina has been buying and farming them back, and now vinifies each parcel separately, fermenting with the wild yeasts already living on the fruit instead of commercial ones, and keeping intervention to a minimum throughout.
Cantarina is completely new to Reserve Wines this summer.
La Cabeza de Perro Blanco 2023 (£23)
From goblet-trained vines planted 1903 to 1910, mostly Palomino with a splash of other local whites, Doña Blanca, Malvasía and Godello, all co-fermented together in the traditional Bierzo way. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, seven months on lees split between stainless steel and used French oak. Floral and fruity on the nose, with stone fruit and a dry, herby edge, elegant and vibrant on the palate. Only 1,000 bottles made. Organic-certified by CAECyL.
La Cabeza de Perro Tinto (Mencía) 2023 (£23)
From younger vines, planted in 2018 in the Paraje El Cotelo, This blends 88% Mencía with 12% Godello co-fermented alongside it - which may seem unusual but it's a traditional Bierzo pairing. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts, twelve months in stainless steel with no oak at all. Purple and bright in the glass, a stunningly fresh nose of strawberry and cherry, mineral and crunchy on the palate with fine, silky tannins. Made for wine bars, barbecues and drinking with friends, not for special occasions.
Everything in the glass sings
Cantarina's whole approach is right there in the name: old vineyards, indigenous yeasts, and wines that taste like the place they came from. Shop the Cantarina range.
Leave a comment (all fields required)