Bardolino grows… and not only in numbers

The strategy of recent years is producing results: the cru are enhancing the value of Bardolino and Bardolino Chiaretto and increasing their popularity.

Last December, two days were dedicated in Bardolino, on Lake Garda, to this red lake wine and its rosé version.

BARDOLINO CRU #bardolinocru

The focus for Bardolino was the recounting of the cru, a project born in 2015 and presented for the first time in 2018. It centered on rediscovering three historic subzones, which were first described at the end of the 19th century by Giovanni Battista Perez: Montebaldo, Sommacampagna and La Rocca. These are three micro-areas for producing Bardolino that differ by their vicinity to the lake, altitude, soil composition and microclimate. Production in these three areas has shrunk to 10 metric tons (from 12MT), maturing tends to be longer and the wines offered in a blind tasting are subject to review by a special panel that year by year determines whether the cru can be mentioned on the label.

This project aims at enhancing the value not only of a wine but an entire territory. Lake Garda is thus not only a tourist destination, mostly in the summer, or a getaway for Verona residents, but above all the home of a great wine that is pleasing and has personality.

Production of Bardolino DOC is in the neighborhood of 16 million bottles a year and its major markets are in Italy, the United States and Scandinavia. A significant number of American journalists and bloggers took part in the three-day event and visited the area.

CHIARETTO OF THE FUTURE #chiarettopink

The focus of the second day was on Chiaretto, a northern Italian rosé par excellence.

Based as always on Corvina and Rondinella grapes, this wine is gaining popularity in America where perhaps consumers are less bias in regard to color and pairings. We tasted 2019 barrel samples and compared them with vintage 2018, which has already been bottled and is available retail.

Chiaretto production today is around 10 million bottles a year and it is produced mostly from Corvina must, plus some Rondinella, and it macerates briefly on the skins before fermentation. The color is a light, bright and transparent pastel pink while the bouquet has typical aromas of peach, cherry and spice. The mouthfeel is salty and has a memorable flavor. The 2019 wine has great concentration, yield was significantly lower than in 2018, a nice balance and structure and promises to be a great vintage.

The event also included some international comparisons and since the American market has been “colonized” by Provence rosé, why not do a blind tasting with them?

Under the supervision of journalist and taster Gianpaolo Giacobbo, we had a blind tasting of eight wines of which (we did not know until after) half were Chiaretto and the other half French rosé. All were 2018.

A spoiler before giving you my review of the tasting: based on the preference of all participants, a Chiaretto came in first and third. This allowed me to draw the following conclusions:

1) the territory of Verona is evermore reliant on its king grape, Corvina, and this is paying back in terms of recognizability and uniqueness. This varietal is a major factor not only for Bardolino but also Valpolicella and it is also being made as an IGT single-grape wine.

Today, whether in a red or rosé, it stands out for its ability to enhance the value of a territory, subzones and traditional wines. These characteristics are also true in Valpolicella where producers recognize it but not, in my view, enough to effect production procedures.

2) in regard to wines and, specifically, Chiaretto. This was not the first blind tasting I have taken part in between Italian and French wines and I believe that the time has come to absolutely say that these lake wines are growing year by year and not only in regard to production numbers… but also and above in recognition and popularity! About time!

The reviews are in the order of the tastings.

Bardolino Chiaretto 2018 Gentili

89/100 - 7,00 € 

A blend of 60%% Corvina, 30% Rondinella and 10% Molinara. A pale pink, onion skin color that is bright in the glass. The aroma is creamy and fruity, recalling a strawberry yogurt, but there is also a more taut scent which remains fruit but is more tannic, like a peach tea. Sweet but not taut. This tension continues in the mouthfeel that has interesting tannins, a dry taste and a bolt of salt. The aftertaste has a medium persistence.

Côtes du Roussillon Rosé La Grande Cuvée 2018 Lafage

88/100 - 16,00 € 

A blend of 70% Grenache Gris and the rest Mouvédre. A golden, onion-skin color and a pungent aroma with scents of very overripe yellow fruit, almost like raisins. The mouthfeel is dense with sweet sensations of dried apricot before the palate is refreshed by chalky notes that are more tense. A good persistence. This is one of my favorite rosé but this vintage seemed below par.

Bardolino Chiaretto Classico 2018 Valetti

87/100 - 7,00 €

A blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara and Sangiovese that has a pastel-pink color of medium intensity. The nose is fruity and recalls ripe and sweet yellow fruit with a note that seems somewhat unusual, perhaps due to the Sangiovese. What is striking about the mouthfeel is its thickness and salinity. It is taut with evident and persistent tannins, also in the aftertaste. A good drop.

Côtes de Provence Rosé 2018 Château de Pampelonne

90/100 - 13,00 €

A blend of Cinsault and Grenache that has a golden, onion-skin color with yellow reflections. While initially imperfect to the nose, the bouquet later offers delicate notes of honey and beeswax, with balsamic hints of propolis softened by a note of talcum. But it was the mouthfeel that won me over, taut with alternating sweet, acidic and salty sensations.

Ventoux-Rhône Valley Rosé Terrasses 2018 Château Pesquié

87/100 - 11,00 € 

Made from Grenache grapes, with has a pale yellow color with pink reflections. The aroma is floral, with a particular scent of rose that pre-announces alternating sensations of sweetness and salinity with a hint of saffron towards then finish. The mouthfeel is warm, with a fruity sweetness and a medium salinity and persistence.

Bardolino Chiaretto Classico 2018 Guerrieri Rizzardi

89/100 - 7,00 € 

A blend of 65% Corvina, 15% Rondinella, 10% Sangiovese and 10% Molinara and Corvinone. A very pale, antique pink color and a floral bouquet with some more complex notes of ripe yellow fruit. The mouthfeel is balanced, velvety and has a medium salinity.

Bardolino Chiaretto 2018 Gorgo

90/100 - 7,00 €

A blend of Covina, Rondinella and Molinara that has a pink onion-skin color. The compact and concentrated aroma has scents of rose, strawberry and peach animated by notes of mint with hints of spice. The salty mouthfeel has great character, is still compact with a pronounced, complex body making this a great drop. A screw-on top.

Côtes du Rhône Rosé 2018 E. Guigal

88/100 - 10,00 € 

A blend of 70% Grenache, 20% Cinsault and 10% Syrah that has a pale, pink color. The aroma has notes of brine and green olives along with some fruity scents that are not too defined. The interesting mouthfeel has a lot of yellow fruit like medlar and a note cranberry. A medium salinity and interesting tannins that add to the verticality and tension.

Related Products