Region: Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Varietal: 100% Lambrusco Grasparossa

Tasting note:  If you’re serving a cheese or charcuterie board anytime soon, this should be your wine pairing. Lambrusco hails from Emilia-Romagna, which is the home of Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciutto, Lasagne and other classic Italian delicacies. This Lambrusco is a perfect wine to cut through the fattiness of the cured meats and mortadella, cheese and cream sauces of the region. Lambrusco Grasparossa is the darkest and fullest Lambrusco varietal and the result here is a perfect winter wine. Aromatically the wine has notes of graphite and red berries. On the palate the wine has flavors of grapefruit with bright acidity, barely ripened brambly red fruits, as well as an underlying saltiness that pairs charmingly with the slight bubbly fizz of the wines texture.

Producer:  In 1850, Cleto Chiarli moved with his wife Lucia and their four children to the countryside town of Modena. Here, he opened the restaurant "Osteria dell'Artigliore", where he served his homemade Lambrusco that eventually led to the Lambrusco revolution. He closed the restaurant in 1860 to dedicate himself full time to the production of Lambrusco and established the first wine-producing company in Emilia-Romagna.  Chiarli has faithfully handed down from generation to generation the rigorous principles of seriousness, honesty and the greatest respect for quality, thus ensuring the appreciation and affection of an ever increasing clientele. Over 145 years have passed since its foundation and the Chiarli name is, more than ever, a benchmark for traditional quality Lambrusco. The estate has been managed by Mauro & Anselmo Chiarli, Cleto's grandsons, since 1970.  In 2001, Mauro and Anselmo decided to build a new winery under the founder’s name, Cleto Chiarli. There, the best of what the Company has to offer is produced from carefully selected and homegrown grapes, with state-of-the-art equipment in an idyllic setting and, above all, with a unique know-how that only over 150 years of tradition can provide.

Vineyard and Winemaking:  The Estate was named after General Cialdini who fought for the unification of Italy. Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro grows in the southern region of Emilia Romagna, between Modena and Bologna. The 23 year old vines grow on alluvial soils 90 meters above sea level.  The grapes undergo traditional pressing with a 36-hour long maceration at low and controlled temperatures. Before fermentation the wine experiences cold stabilization with lees contact for 2 months. The wine then goes through a slow single fermentation under pressure. The wine ages for one month in bottle.