n.v. Venturini Baldini, Lambrusco Rosso, Montelocco, Emilia Romagna, Italy.
I was thrilled to try the fizzante Lambrusco Rosso from Venturini Baldini, with its dark hue in the glass and low pressure mousse, it is an easy and fun Lambrusco that is a gastronomic delight with simple and rustic food, fruity and fresh with dark berries, black cherry, a touch of earthiness, mild tannins and a hint of sweetness. Pop this at a BBQ or picnic with burgers, or a roast beef sandwich and you’ll be wonderfully rewarded for the quality and pleasure of this Montelocco Rosso. The estate, Venturini Baldini, is situated in the historical hills of Matilde di Canossa in Emilia and goes back to the 17th century, making a savvy lineup of sparkling wines, with white, rosé and red, like this one, with a focus on organic grapes and traditional methods throughout the range here, which all were very delicious. This Lambrusco Emilia IGP is made from 100% Salamino grapes, grown on clay-sandy soils on hillside plots, all organic certified, and saw a short maceration and all produced into bubbly using the charmat method, injected carbonation in vat, and comes in with just 11% natural alcohol and a slight bit of residual sugar. This off dry style is great with salami and cured ham, as well as cheese and or pizza, which is what I had it with.
The Venturini Baldini which dates back to1880, is an old villa, and home to an organic Lambrusco estate, and is located on the hills of Reggio Emilia in Roncolo di Quattro Castella not far from Reggio Emilia in Emilia Romagna. Not far from Parma and Modena, the Venturini Baldini property, has since 1976 has been producing organic Lambrusco and sparkling wines mostly, as well as premium balsamic vinegars and balsamic condiments, since this is the historical region for those products, that add joy to our everyday lives. Venturini Baldini’s importer, Massanois, informed me that since the early 1990’s, Venturini Baldini has been producing only organically certified products and was one of the first in Italy, and the first in the region, to switch to an entirely organic production for their wines. This commitment is now deeply rooted in Venturini Baldini’s approach to farming and wine making, and it shines through here in their latest set of releases, which I was able to sample fully in New York and Chicago recently, grazie Vittorio, for showing me the wines. This Montelocco, made from Salamino, rather than the typical Lambrusco varieties of Sorbara and the most famous Grasparossa, makes for a distinctive version of this ancient style of deeply purple hued sparkling red, which I highly recommend.
($18 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive