CANTINA PALTINIERI
Modena, Italy
Since 1926, the Paltrinieri family has been producing Lambrusco. Achille Paltrinieri began the operation in Sorbara that he would run for the next 40 years. Now in the fourth generation, the enterprise is helmed by Alberto Paltrinieri and his wife Barbara; the couple took over in 1998. Soon after, Alberto and Barbara gambled on producing mono-varietal wines, Sorbara at the heart flanked by other local varieties such as Salomino and Trebbiano. Where most of the wines cast a light on a single variety, the family is not without regard for tradition, producing their “Sant’Agata” bottling as a blend of Sorbara and Salomino from a 3.5-hectare organic vineyard in Cristo di Sorbara, where the space between the two rivers is at its narrowest.
There is much that renders Sorbara a singular territory for the production of Lambrusco, not the least of which is the Lambrusco di Sorbara grape variety itself. Grown on the banks between the rivers Secchia and Panaro, twin tributaries winding their way to the Po and depositing loose layers of silt and sand along the way, Paltrinieri specializes in this challenging grape. In his oversight of their 17 hectares of vines, proprietor Alberto Paltrinieri makes full use of the unique situation of this corner of the wine world, including their holdings in the revered Cristo di Sorbara cru. The wines they produce span the gamut: tributes to heritage and tradition, imaginative innovations that test the definition of Lambrusco itself, and everything in between.
In the winery, they have moved away from the Charmat method so commonplace over the last four decades in Lambrusco, favoring second fermentation in the bottle or the Martinotti method (second fermentation in autoclave) for more integrated, texturally generous expressions. This combined with the staggeringly pristine acidity coaxed from the vines creates beautiful dichotomy on the palate: soft, pillowy, and velveteen textures carrying bracing acidity and assertive character. Paltrinieri utilizes indigenous yeasts and conducts limited if any dosage; the goal for the vast majority of their bottlings is dryness and precision, decidedly not the 1970’s style sweet plonk even when they leave a dollop of residual sugar. And while sparkling red may be first to mind when the word "Lambrusco" is mentioned, most of the Paltrinieri wines are white or pink.
Wines
Paltrinieri Lambrusco Bianco dell'Emilia
Paltrinieri Lambrusco dell'Emilia Solco
Paltrinieri Lambrusco di Sorbara 'Sant'Agata'