Cleto Chiarli Vigneto Cialdini Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro 2025
£14.95
The wine
An intense ruby-purple in the glass. The nose reveals brooding blackcurrant and blackberry. On the palate, vibrant black fruit is balanced by a crunchy acidity and a refreshing finish.
Vigneto Cialdini surrounds the Chiarli cellar in the foothills at about 90 metres, on medium clay soils studded with rock fragments fallen from the hills above, which drain sharply and feed the wine its mineral edge. The vines are trained on a double curtain to open the canopy. Destemmed, gently pressed and macerated for two to three days at 12 degrees to hold the colour and aromatics, then clarified, cold stabilised and fermented in stainless steel. Grasparossa is the darkest and most tannic of the Lambruscos, which is why this drinks like a proper red rather than a novelty.
The producer
Cleto Chiarli
View all Cleto Chiarli winesCleto Chiarli is the oldest Lambrusco house in Emilia-Romagna, founded in 1860 in the hills around Modena. For generations it has championed serious, dry Lambrusco, far removed from the sweet fizz of cliché. This is the sparkling wine of Italy's gastronomic heartland.
The estate works chiefly with the noble Lambrusco di Sorbara and Grasparossa grapes, grown on the alluvial plains and hills of Modena. Some cuvées are made by the traditional method, others by the tank, always with freshness in mind. A little Pignoletto adds a white sparkler to the range.
In the cellar, precision and low dosage give bright, dry, vividly fruity wines with a fine mousse. The reds are crisp and berryish, the rosé savoury, the white brisk and citrussy. All are built to cut through rich local food.
Cleto Chiarli offers Lambrusco as it should be, dry, sparkling and full of character. Fresh, frothy and food-friendly, these are the perfect foil for charcuterie, cheese and the cooking of Emilia.
