Review: Wines of Cantoro, 2026 Releases
Returning to Cantoro Market feels less like a sequel and more like checking back in on a place that never stops evolving. The scale is still mildly overwhelming, the shelves still bowing under the weight of Italian specialties you didn’t know existed or needed, and the wine section continues to emanate a low-grade sense of intimidation. This time around, we finish our survey of the store-label wines, all sourced across Italy, priced for people who intend to open them and enjoy them imminently. These are bottles meant for actual drinking, not ceremonial gifting or landmark birthdays. Wandering the narrow aisles again, it’s hard not to appreciate how seamlessly these everyday options coexist in harmony with bottles that could pass for cellar trophies, all without a hint of pretense. The basement still looms as a reminder of fiscal reality, but upstairs there’s plenty to survey without refinancing your future, and that’s where the fun starts.
2021 Cantoro Pinot Nero Venezia Giulia Review
It’s there on the label, technically speaking, though you’ll need to squint a bit: this wine comes courtesy of Maurizio Zaccomer in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. And it wastes no time getting serious, opening with aromas of cured meat, seaweed, and crushed stone. Cranberry and strawberry follow, carrying through to the palate where the acidity keeps everything firmly in check, moderated by polished tannins. The finish is long and lingering, with everything coming together quite harmoniously. Stop by the cheese counter and get them to pair this with something big and bold. B+
2023 Cantoro Chianti DOCG Review
This wine opens with the familiar tag team of cherry and plum, with a faint trace of leather thrown in as proof it’s not unserious. On the palate, balanced tannins and respectable acidity keep things moving along with discipline, ushering in more cherry, a touch of chocolate, and a carefully rationed dose of baking spice. As it stretches toward the finish, a mild raisin note flirts briefly with trouble, but vanilla steps in to redirect the shopping cart away from the dessert aisle. This Chanti sticks closely to the plan and executes well. It holds its own comfortably among the crowded $20–30 field, where enthusiasm can sometimes outpace execution. The clear standout of this session and worth buying a few now, mainly so you can later congratulate yourself on a to-be-determined future date on making a sensible decision. A-
2023 Cantoro Nero D’Avola Sicilia Review
If I’m interpreting the TP code correctly, and trusting the Italian quality control database is having a good day, this bottle traces back to Colomba Bianca, a producer whose portfolio is so broad it could reasonably design its own pop quiz on labels. Kore, Resilience, 595: labels that suggest seriousness, an office motivational poster, and perhaps a committee meeting or five. One gets the sense this wine was engineered to offend no one, which is not a flaw, just a design philosophy. The nose opens briskly with wild berries, strawberries, and raspberries, efficiently checking the required boxes before adding orange peel and cinnamon for animation. A suggestion of vanilla hovers in the background, making sure you know oak was, at some point, involved. On the palate, the wine is warm and enveloping, with tannins behaving admirably, propping up peppery spice without demanding attention. The finish is long, persistent, and resolutely raspberry-driven, circling back to its core message in case it wasn’t evident the first two times. This is a wine that knows exactly what it’s meant to be and executes accordingly. It may not challenge or provoke contemplation, but it will pour easily, pair easily with almost any Italian dish, disappear quickly, and leave very few people with complaints. Which, in many respects, is the whole assignment. B+
2021 Cantoro Merlot Terre Di Chieti Review
This merlot opens with aromas of plum and dark berries, but quickly makes it clear there’s zero interest in being a one-note fruit filler. Instead, the profile shifts savory, with warming spices adding dimension rather than predictable, approachable reassurance. The palate provides something a bit more thoughtful: a mild combination of black pepper and wild herbs cutting through, with red cherry eventually stepping in without drawing too much attention. There’s enough complexity here to reward a closer look, but not so much that it turns into homework. B
Like most wines in 2025, prices have gone up slightly on these wines: In less than three months between visits, the prices have increased per bottle from $9 to $12. Still: a reasonably good bargain.
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