This Lambrusco presents itself with its typical deep purple colour and a delicate foam. On the nose the wine is vinous, with wild strawberries, fresh plums and pomegranate. In the mouth the palate is welcomed by a pleasant effervescence and left with a drying, slightly bitter sensation. A wine that pair well with the local charcuterie.
In general, Lambrusco wines are fruity, light-hearted sparkling reds that go through their secondary fermentation in large steel tanks, according to the Charmat method. The vine varieties used for its production are of the vitis labrusca species, instead of the vitis vinifera, from which most wines around the world are made.
Although Lambrusco vines are grown in several Italian wine regions, this grape is associated mainly with Emilia-Romagna, a fertile region of northern Italy that is not only one of the country’s biggest wine producer, but also among the oldest. In fact, vines have been introduced in the area already by the Etruscans as far as the seventh century BC; therefore predating the arrival of the Romans.
Despite its long history, before its commercial success in the USA in the 1970s and 1980s as a sweet, easy to drink wine, Lambrusco was hardly known outside Italy. Following its popularity and the resulting mass production, in subsequent years Lambrusco gained a largely deserved bad reputation and is now seen as a cheap, bulk-produced, low-quality wine.
More than 60 Lambrusco varieties have been identified so far. A number of Lambrusco sub-varieties have their own DOC. Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro is one of them and must be made with at least 85% Lambrusco Grasparossa grapes, which give fuller-bodied, more tannic and higher in alcohol wines than other Lambrusco.
Some producers have been striving to relaunch high quality Lambrusco. One of them is Fattoria Moretto, who produces Canova biologically, with 100% Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro grapes from more than 40 years old vines.
I bought this bottle at Signorvino on the main square of Bologna and tasted it under the shadow of the 100m tall tower Asinelli. Although at 13.90 EUR it is clearly an upscale version of Lambrusco, which usually sells for 5 EUR, it didn’t give me much pleasure. Not my style of wine. Nonetheless I have to recognise the value it can offer to other palates.
Country: Italy
Region: Emilia-Romagna
Grapes: Lambrusco
Type: Red
Vintage: N/A
Producer: Fattoria Moretto
Price range: Economic (<15 US$)
Pascal’s Enjoyment Index: 2/5