Ischia DOC Biancolella 2022 (750 ml.) Cenatiempo

THE WINE

The Biancolella from Cenatiempo is a biodynamic white wine, with a Mediterranean character, young and fresh, made from pure Biancolella grapes, an indigenous white grape variety from the island of Ischia. The grapes are hand-harvested between the second half of September and the end of October. The low fermentation temperature allows for better extraction of aromas. It has a pale straw yellow color with greenish reflections. An intense bouquet, with hints of citrus and white fruit, floral notes of white flowers, cut grass, and Mediterranean aromatic herbs, along with sweet notes of honey. It has a light, fresh, and vertical taste, with saline notes that make it balanced. An heroic wine that expresses its terroir.

THE COMPANY

Thinking of the winery Cenatiempo, one is immediately transported to the stunning landscape of the island of Ischia. Here, in 1945, Francesco Cenatiempo founded this strictly family-run winery, now in the hands of Pasquale Cenatiempo, a winemaker who has always stayed away from the media spotlight. The winery is set in a suggestive backdrop, literally carved into the heart of the Kalimera hill, almost as if wanting to root itself in the deepest and most vibrant part of this beautiful territory. It is no coincidence that even in Roman times, the island of Ischia, then called Aenaria, was considered “the land of wine,” an economy that thrived until the first half of the 20th century and is now being revived by this winery.

The wines from the Cenatiempo winery are the children of a unique territory, where the volcano meets the sea, the solid merges with the liquid, the heat of the lava blends with the cold waves of the Mediterranean. These two opposing and pulsating souls are the signature of the winery's labels, appreciated for their pleasant drinkability and distinctly saline character. In the winery, any kind of productive interference, such as the use of wood, is banned in favor of steel tanks and old concrete vats to sincerely and clearly enhance the natural aromatic profile of the grapes. A synthesis of production and landscape tradition concentrated in a single glass!

Since the founding of the winery, the Cenatiempo family has been committed to carrying forward a noble project of enhancing the indigenous and traditional varieties of the island of Ischia. The Biancolella and the Forastera, undisputed manifestos of the entire production, speak a saline, marine, and fresh language like the sea that overlooks the vineyards, while the Piedirosso, locally called Per’ e Palummo, reveals a earthy and volcanic soul, typical of its origin territory. An heroic viticulture, practiced on steep terraces that enjoy perfect sun exposure, based on the principles of biodynamic agriculture that respects the environment, which is definitely worth tasting and why not, even visiting in person!

EXTREME WINES

Extreme wines are heroic wines, products of toil, sweat, and the labor of man; they are produced in often unknown, geographically challenging areas, sometimes impossible, and cultivated in tiny patches of land wrested from the mountains, rocks, and sea.

From Trentino-Alto Adige to Sardinia, from Valle d'Aosta to the island of Pantelleria, from Valtellina to the Amalfi Coast, from the Cinque Terre to the slopes of Etna, ancient Enotria boasts a myriad of grape varieties that have survived wars, plagues, and the scourge of phylloxera.

Grape varieties that, thanks to the tenacity and passion of some small great winemakers, have been rescued from oblivion and are still capable of offering extraordinary wines to the lovers of Bacchus.

Gianpaolo Girardi