Wine Reviews
"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?"
W.C. Fields
General Reviews
“
I was stunned by the general quality of what I tasted. Stunned. And the wines I wound up remembering most vividly were from a winery I had no idea even existed: CanTinian Wines of Argentina, (
The Pour Fool)”
– Steve Body, Pour Fool
“I grew up in Sonoma County in California. My mother's side of the family made wine. We found Diane Wilson and her outstanding Zins before she gained rockstar status. I first came to Argentina in 2001 and have sought out great Argentine reds since that time. For me, it's always been value vs. quality.
Cantinian wines represent high quality for an outstanding price. The 2008 reserva (80% malbec 20% cabernet) is big and bold, containing lots of red fruit, but finishing silky smooth. The 2009 and 2010 Classicos(malbec and cabernet) give you a complex wine for an economical price.
The 2011 wines that have been tank sampled, promise to raise the bar yet again. My advice--stock up on Cantinian now, before the word gets out!!!!!! " – Dennis Nardi, Wine Geek
"A bottle of wine contains more philosophy than all the books in the world..."Louis Pasteur
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
“Spicy, blackberry, rooty, savoury, boysenberry, floral, licorice, peppery aromas. Soft, round, supple and fresh palate. Juicy blackberry, peppery, coffee, plum, smoky, earthy flavours. Good fruity style with a touch of warmth on the finish. Drink now - 1 year. Solid value here."(Gismondi On Wines) – Gismondi On Wine
“I could insert this wine into a tasting of better-quality Sonoma and Columbia Valley Cabs and a lot of people would rate it at the top of their lists… it does absolutely advance the whole idea of “international-style” Cabernet by several degrees. I can’t emphasize enough what a freakin’ steal this wine is."(The Pour Fool) –Steve Body, The Pour Fool
MALBEC
"Very nice Malbec. I think I would pair it with a sundried tomato and cream sauce. They have similar notes and would compliment each other well." " –Steve Kirby, Max and Irma's Restaurant, Nelson, B.C.
"This is just flat-out sumptuous Malbec; rich and silky, with fat, powerful flavors framed by a stately structure and just the right balance for repeated drinking" (The Pour Fool)" –Steve Body, Pour Fool
MALBEC/ CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE BLEND
91 points! for CanTinian Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva
"This reserve, a gold-medal winner in Argentina, is full-bodied and powerful, smooth at first, with intense dark fruit and chocolate, then a punch of bracing spice. Serve it with something massive. (Brontosaurus burgers come to mind.)(Beppi Crosariol)
" –Beppi Crosariol, Globe and Mail, Review: Dec. 16, 2011
“Love the aromatics on the nose: red fruits and a white pepper. The attack is similar with ripe red fruit cab flavours crashing against sweet, ripe fat lush malbec fruit. The result is a smooth supple blend with a spicy finish. Ripe but still food friendly and definitely affordable."(Gismondi on Wines) –Gismondi On Wines
“Blended 55% Cab and 45% Malbec, the balance of this is lovely and the profile is bright, jazzy, and rich. Volleys of coffee, blackberry, black plum, cassis, leather, stone, and figs nearly claw their way out of the glass. The texture is viscous and seamless and yet the wine is easy to drink and the very opposite of ponderous."(The Pour Fool) –Steve Body, Pour Fool
Our Vineyard & Our Great People
CanTinian Mission Statement:
“It is our intention to remain a small single vineyard producer, where micromanagement and attention to detail create an atmosphere which promotes quality ahead of quantity, where the integrity of the old vines remains strong and true, where flavour and colour concentration can flourish, and where the dedicated people who produce these flavours can be proud to share their achievement with the land that provided it.”
These ‘dedicated people’ are one of the strengths of CanTinian!
CanTinian are proud and pleased to have a great team of local Argentinians at our vineyards.
Lucas Gimenez is our vineyard manager in Mendoza.
He is an invaluable link in the chain that joins the quality of harvested grapes to the quality of wine in each bottle.
Lucas is an experienced agronomist as well as an accredited winemaker.
Another important member of the CanTinian team is Assistant Vineyard Manager, Daniel.
Daniel Garcia Corazza, he is in his last year at the Don Bosco school for winemaking in Mendoza. Daniel is in charge of logistics for Cantinian and helps Lucas wherever he is needed.
Oscar and Pablo Bustios are the full time, father/son vineyard maintenance team at CanTinian. They bring years of experience to our vineyard.
Their attention to vine health and their insight into seasonal fluctuations help our vines improve and allow for the consistency we seek from year to year.
Many other skilled vineyard workers participate during key peak periods during the year. We appreciate all those involved. It is this group and the knowledge that they share which ultimately deliver the flavours we seek.
Last but not least, we want to recognize the work of our label designer and CanTinian artist, Nia Suden,
who has been integral to our CanTinian branding with her unique graphic interpretations. Nia Website
If our learning curve in the wine industry were a wine glass...
In 2007, coming from a background of successfully managing start-up operations, we purchased our vineyard. At the time, we were sitting at the base of the glass, looking up at the steep slope ahead. Over the last five years, our stem has grown steadily sturdier with the wealth of experience that our team brings to support the glass.
- Our pickers use pruners to cut the grape clusters off the vines. This prevents damage that yanking the grapes by hand could have caused.
