The Bardolino Banco d’Assaggio tasting at the lakeside town of Lazise in the Bardolino zone.

I tasted Chiarettos (both sparkling and still). Chiaretto refers to a rose wine made in the Bardolino zone. Some of the labels for the Chiarettos reminded me of Paris Hilton’s Bedroom (as seen on MTV). Their Hello Kitty Pink clashed with the actual color of the wine, which teeters between rose petal pink and orange.

The color is derived from the grape variety. The primary one in the Bardolino blend is usually  Corvina.  This grape is also part of the blend of Valpolicellas and Amarones.

The Bardolino production zone, generally speaking, lies between Lake Garda (Italy’s largest lake) and the Valpolicella zone in the Veneto region. For those who may have trouble spotting the Veneto on a map of Italy – it’s the region that includes Venice.

Around Lake Garda Sparkling Bardolino is often paired with grilled freshwater trout.  It also, of course, makes a nice, fresh drinks-party pour.

Here are some of my notes for the sparkling Bardolinos:  

Fulvio Benazzoli Chiaretto Spumante 2009 A vibrant rose-pink. Fresh. Floral nose. A crisp vibrant acidity lifts the wild berry fruit. Clean finish.  After 10 minutes in the glass it is still firm and fresh.

Cantina di Castelnuovo del Garda Chiaretto Spumante  Orangey-rose. Very lively color. On the palate: soft, undefined (but not unpleasant) fruit. A nice vibration on the palate. A cream soda (in a good way) undertow on the finish.

Costadoro Chiaretto Spumante  An attractive orangey-pink. Fresh. An idea of mustard bursts on the middle palate. This is a surprise – to say the least. But once I identify it  - it is rather nice.  It livens up the soft fruit flavors (mulberry, raspberry).Satisfying finish.

Monte Oliveto Chiaretto Spumante Orange with a rose scrim – a soft wad of fresh berry fruit held in shape by a fine net of acidity.   

Villabella Chiaretto Spumante Soft but firm fruit. Appealing. A touch of dry caramel on the finish, which is not unpleasant.

Monte Saline Chiaretto Spumante This is the only wine to be made with the Champagne Method.  This means that the second fermentation – the one that creates the bubbles – occurs in bottle rather than in a tank.  A lovely vibrant pale orange dominates the rose petal-pink color. It is the color of a wine that could be served on the Starship Enterprise.  A firm, appealing fragrance of strawberries. Very silky entry. Nice texture. Clean flavorful finish.

I then tasted through the still Bardolino Chiarettos. Here are a few of my notes:

Natale Castellani 2009 Bardolino Chiaretto  Nice saturation of rose. Very pleasing, nicely balanced – an elegant wine.  The fruit flavors – an amalgam of raspberry, mulberry and  wild berries – merge seamlessly. 

F.lli Zeni Bardolino Chiaretto Vibrant pink to clear rim. A fresh yet soft nose. Round yet firm fruit. The words “a workman-like job” come to mind. This is not a bad thing.  A client ordering this in a restaurant would be satisfied.

Guerrieri Rizzardi Bardolino Chiaretto Soft nose. On the palate, the firm yet easy fruit indicates that the wine can be served on its own. I can see this as a popular “drinks party” wine.

Le Fraghe Bardolino Chiaretto.  Pale scrim of rose petal pink with a touch of orange. A nice mouthful of soft fruit that is surrounded by a firm, fine net of acidity. This very elegant wine has a screw cap. I hope more producers make the decision to switch to this type of closure with wines that are not intended for decades of cellaring.

Le Tende Bardolino Chiaretto A fine, elegant mouthful. An appealing wine.

Monte del Fra Bardolino Chiaretto Pale. An obvious softness on the nose. Soft, round, easy. I really need not say more. 

For those who want to read more about my adventure in Bardolino or about The Incident of the Imperious Sommelier – in my March Diary, which will be posted on my website the first week in April.

Cheers,

Patricia

Sangiovese di Romagna

The Sangiovese di Romagna D.O.C. should be very easy to market and sell.  After all, it has one of the few official Italian denominations that is easy to understand: Sangiovese is the grape variety and Romagna is the region (Emilia-Romagna) where the wine is produced.

That it is not flying off the shelves of wine shops around the world is due, in part, to the fact that many consumers have yet to realize that the silky textures and bitter cherry flavors that they appreciate in such famous wines as Chianti and Brunello comes from the Sangiovese grape. Another contributing factor is that few wine magazines and wine shop owners are willing to promote wines that come from beyond the borders of the more popular regions of Tuscany, Piedmont and, more recently, Sicily.

So, my friends, I am here to tell you to try Sangiovese di Romagna wines.  Those from the best producers are luscious, satisfying, versatile and long lived.  They also often offer excellent value for money. 

Here are the notes on my favorite Sangiovese di Romagna wines tasted on February 21, 2010 in the  town of Faenza (in the region of Emilia-Romagna).

2009 Sangiovese di Romagna “Thea” produced by Tre Monte. Vibrant fuchsia-infused cherry red. On the nose a soft weave of ripe fruit revolves around a firm, fine acidity.  A warm plumy fruit on the palate. An idea of dark chocolate. Long satisfying finish.

2009 Sangiovese di Romagna “Pietramora” produced by Fattoria Zerbina.  A soft, deep rose sheen over rich ruby. On the nose a tight weave – silky texture – cherry-like fruit, a touch of minerality . Very silky on the entry then it expands on the middle-palate becoming almost velvety. A fine ripple of ripe cherries, a light touch of prunes. Lively, uplifting mineral zestiness.

2009 Sangiovese di Romagna “Pruno” produced by Drei Dona Tenuta La Palazza.  A Christmasy spicy fruit shot through with uplifting steely notes. The fruit is on the plumy side. It develops a velvety texture on the finish. Long.  Satisfying.

2005 Sangiovese di Romagna “Ari” produced by San Patrignano. Silky texture. A fresh appealing knobbly blend of blackberry, bitter cherry fruit. Satisfying finish.

1997 Sangiovese di Romagna “Pietramora” produced by Fattoria Zerbina.  An involving fruity warmth. A very inviting wine. Gives smooth, sensual pleasure. An amalgam of ripe cherries, plums with a firm undertow of tar. A fine wine.

I tasted the following wine at my home on February 10th

2000 “Graf Noir” from Drei Dona Tenuta La Palazza (made form primarily Sangiovese, Negretto Longanesi and Cabernet Franc). A very rich, softly diffused ruby with a warm near-brown sheen. A fine supporting acidity surrounded by very ripe berry fruit – cherry, raspberry, wild berry fruit. A silky texture that caresses the mouth. (Forgive me but that is what I felt.)  A fine, soft weave of fruit (cherry, very ripe plums) and an almost minerally zest.  Long, flavorful finish.  Satisfying.

For notes on other Sangiovese di Romagnas I sample at the tasting or for a look at the life of a professional wine taster go to my site: www.patriciaguy.com

Cheers,

Patricia