Who: Cleto Chiarli
What: 100% Grasparossa
Where: Castelvetro, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Tastes like: Smells intensely of brambly, stewed fruit. Medium-minus body with a fine bead and a bone dry finish.
Pairs with: Prosciutto di parma, mortadella, any pizza, anything fatty and savory.
The What: Lambrusco is a style of semi-sparkling to sparkling wine from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Up to 6 different grapes can be used to make the wine, but the primary grapes in the wines of quality are Grasparossa, Salamino, and Sorbara, with Sorbara being considered as making the finest wines due to its concentration of flavor and high acidity. The vast majority of Lambrusco is made with the Charmat method and fermented to a frizzante level of sparkle. There are some rare exceptions that feature champagne method and spumante bubble.
The Where: Emilia-Romagna is a wealthy region in the northeast of Italy, just to the south of the Veneto and Lombardy. It is known as for being the home of the University of Bologna (the oldest in the world), many Renaissance cities (including Bologna, Modena, and Parma), a producer of luxury cars (Lamborghini, Masserati, Ducati), and as a major hub for fine foods and salumi. Notable foods native to the region include: Balsamic vinegar, parmigiano reggiano, mortadella, prosciutto di parma, lasagne, and tagliatelle. What grows together, goes together, and Lambrusco is a natural pairing for all of these foods.
The Who: The Chiarli family have owned land in the lambrusco-producing areas of Emilia-Romana for 150 years. Today they own 3 distinct estates, totalling 100 hectares under vine. Each is specifically suited to producing certain types of wine, and are at the heart of the most important DOCs of the region.
The Chiarli family have owned the Castelvetro estate for over 130 years. It lies in the heart of the wine-producing area of the Lambrusco di Grasparossa, in the Castelvetro municipality. The estate comprises 50 hectares (124 acres) of vineyards, which are situated on ancient alluvium (riverbed deposits) around the Guerro stream, at the foot of the Apennines. In this area, the land is gently undulating for the cyclical alternation between erosion of the soil and deposition of sediments. The upper stratum is around 50 cm thick and is mainly composed of silt, whilst underneath it one can find a layer of gravel. Here one can also find the ‘Tenuta Cialdini’, an estate which includes the ‘Vigneto Cialdini’. This famous vineyard provides the grapes for the Grasparossa ‘Generale Enrico Cialdini’, a true Lambrusco ‘cru’ with unique and unmistakable qualities
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