A New Look at Lambrusco

Lambrusco’s early popularity caused it to get a bad rap.  Many wine drinkers today think that all Lambrusco is sweet, red and lightly sparkling and they don’t consider it to be a serious wine.

A recent Lambrusco tasting that I attended proved them wrong.  The speaker was Alan Tardi, an award winning wine and food writer, wine educator, former chef, and restaurateur.  The seminar was called “A New Look at Lambrusco.”  With Alan teaching, it was not just a seminar but a true ‘Master Class.’ The class was given at The New York Wine Studio at 126 East 38th Street New York, New York. info@newyoekwinestudio.com.

 Lambrusco is the name of both an Italian  red wine grape and a wine made principally from the grape.  It is indigenous to and has its largest production in the region of Emilia-Romagna.  All of the production of Lambrusco in Emilia-Romahna takes place in Emilia with the town of Modena the center of Lambrusco production.  The grape is planted in other parts of Italy and a few other countries.

It is typically made using the Charmat process where a second fermentation is conducted in a pressurized tank. More recently some producers have been making wine by using the Classical Method, the same way Champagne is made, and even vintage dating the label. Lambrusco can be made in many styles from sweet “dolce” to dry “secco.”  Traditionally, Lambrusco was meant to be drunk young but now some producers are  using  the Classical Method and putting vintages on the label of some that can age.  One of the wines tasted was from the 2007 vintage.  It was not too old for Lambrusco.

Six Lambrusco varieties are the best known: Lambrusco Grasparossa, Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco Marani, Lambrusco Montericco, Lambrusco Salamino, and Lambrusco Sorbara. All of these various Lambrusco grapes are indigenous to Emilia and are not clones or sub-clones. The grape vines are often trained high above ground to prevent mildew. In the past the vines were trained to climb up poplar trees.

Lambrusco Grasparossa is the smallest wine-producing region located south of the town of Modena. It makes a wine which is full bodied, high in alcohol and more tannic than other Lambrusco varieties, It has aromas and flavors of black cherry, plum and a touch of almonds.

Lambrusco Sorbara is light bodied and high in acidity. It has aromas an flavors of violet, red currant, and strawberry.

Lambrusco Salamino is  he most common of the Lambrusco varieties planted in Emilia. Midway between Grasparossa and Sorbara, it is moderately tannic with aromas of  violet, rose and red berries. This variety has only female flowers so it is planted with Lambrusco Salamino, and the Salamino pollinates the Sorbara flowers.

Lambrusco Maestri has aromas and flavors of plum, black cherry, chocolate and violet.

Lambrusco Marani is tannic with flavors and aromas of violet, iris, black currant, and red cherry.

Lambrusco Viadanese is also known as Lambrusco Mantovano.

Lambrusco Bianco dell’ Emilia IGP N/V Lini 910 made from 100% Salamino grapes. Harvest takes place in September. There is a cold soaking of the grapes followed by a 10 to 15 day alcoholic fermentation at 59/60C. There is a partial malolactic fermentation. For the production of Lini’s classic Martinotti-method Lambrusco (also known as Charmat-method Lambrusco), a still Lambrusco is produced and then racked into pressurized temperature-controlled tanks where the second fermentation takes place. The wine is then aged on the lees until the desired complexity and nuance are achieved.The fining agent is bentonite and aging is in cement tanks.  Residual sugar is 10 g/l and alcohol is 11%.  The wine has hints ripe peaches and pears with a touch of hazelnut and a note of lemon.$18

Lini 910 has been a family-owned and operated sustainable winery in Emilia-Romagna, Italy since 1910.

Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut Rosè (coral pink color ) DOP 2024 Silva Zucchi made from 100% Sorbara.  The soil of the estate vineyards is silt and clay and the exposure is southwest. There is a careful selection of the hand-harvested grapes which are then softly pressed so that the free run juice or “mosto fire” is used for the final product. Fermentation takes place using the Charmat Method, in large pressure tight autoclaves, for 5 weeks on the lees at a controlled temperature of 14/16C.  The wine is only aged briefly in the bottle before release. Residual sugar 2.29 g/l. The wines has floral notes with hints of of strawberry, raspberry, red currants and a touch of grapefruit. $22

Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC ‘LEclisse’ 2023 Paltrinieri made from 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara from the oldest section of the IL Cristo vineyard at 80 ft. Alluvial soil mostly chalk and sand and the training system is cordoned speronato. Harvest is in the middle of September by hand. There is a soft pressing of the grapes without maceration. The wine is produced using the Martinotti method or long Charmat method where the wine is left on the lees in pressurized stainless steel tank for a period of 3 months. Alcohol 11.5%.  The wine is organic and has hints of citrus fruit, pears and floral notes. $20

Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce IGP ‘RossaViola’ (ruby red in color) 2020 Luciano Saetti made from 100% Salamino di Santa Croce. The vines are 40 years old and the training system is guyot and spalliera. Soil is deep grey clay, sand and silt. Harvest is manual. Grapes are crushed and the resulting spontaneous fermented must goes into steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The alcoholic fermentation process is concluded without the grapes being pressed. The sediment falls spontaneously to the bottom of the tank, avoiding any micro-filtering. The spring after a second fermentation takes place in the bottle initiated by the addition of grape must at a controlled pressure and temperature. It is fermented to  dryness. After a patient refinement that takes at least four months, the bottles are hand riddled and disgorged.  The date of this operation is shown on the back label (complete with day, month and year). The wine has hints of violets and red berries with sweet spice notes and a touch of plums.  Organic certified. No sulfur is added to the wines. $21

Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce DOC “Per Franco” 2001 Tettrvive made from 100% estate grown Lambrusco di S. Croce. The 5 hectare vineyard is at 23 meters and the age of the vines is about 15 years. Soil is of medium texture, sandy loamy. The farming is organic without chemical intervention. There are biodynamic preparations. Only copper and sulphur are used to protect the plants. Harvest is by hand in early September. The grapes are destemmed, soft pressed and only the free-run juice is used. Spontaneous fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts. The wine is aged for 6 months in cement, and 6 months in the bottle. No clarification, no filtration, addition of must from the same vintage for refermentation. The wine has hints of citrus, grapefruit, lemon, green apples and a touch of fresh herbs.  The winery’s bottle storage area, modeled after a 17th-century-style icehouse, burrows like a Hobbit-hole directly into the side of a hill—a hill that the owner/winemaker Gianluca Bergianti constructed himself. $22

$29Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro “Monovitigno” 2024 (flamboyant cardinal red) Fattoria Moretto  Lambrusco di Grasparossa di Castelvetro 100% from a more than 50 year old clonal selection of a single vineyard facing south/southeast. The grapes are certified organic and the training system is spurred cordon. Soil is 30% silt and 70% clay.  There are 5,000 vines per hectare. Harvest is by hand. There is a 4/6 day maceration at a controlled temperature. In steel for the must.  The rosé juice is obtained by direct press and does not undergo malolactic fermentation.  Only indigenous yeast is used. Fermented and aged in stainless steel autoclaves (pressurized tanks).  The wine has hints of blackberry, blueberry, strawberry with a note of aromatic herbs and nice minerality  Fattoria Moretto  is a small family run winery established in 1971.  The vineyards are at 200 meters which make it unique because Emilia is very flat $29

Lambrusco dell’Emilia IGT “Rio degli Sgoccioli” 2022 Cinque Campi made from Lambrusco Borghi. Cinque Campi is a family-run winery with a history spanning over 200 years.   The winery is known for its traditional, organic Lambrusco and other wines made with indigenous Emilian grapes. The name “Cinque Campi” translates to “five fields” and refers to the original five vineyards that formed the estate. The winery has been passed down through the Nizzoli family for generations, with the current owner, Vanni Nizzoli, continuing the legacy. The vineyards are located on the  hills of the Appennino Reggiano, with soils characterized by a mix of sand, silt, and clay contributing to the wines’s freshness and minerality.  The soil is clayey silicious. Maceration is  on the skins in steel tanks for 3 days then in steel for 6 months and 1 year in bottle sur lies. Method Classico.  It has flavors and aromas of red fruit, strawberry, raspberry. Traditional methods like fermentation in the bottle and disgorging by hand are used, resulting in unique and complex wines. It is a certified organic farm, with a focus on minimal intervention winemaking, including hand-harvesting, natural fermentation, and no fining, filtering, or added sulfur. $18

Lambrusco del Reggiano Rosato DOC ‘Unique” 2021 Medici Ermete is a traditional method sparkling rosé wine made from 100% Lambrusco Marani grapes (pink in color).  The soil is clayey and the training system is condone speronato. It is a Brut style wine, meaning it’s dry. It undergoes 30 months of aging on the lees which contributes to its complexity. Minimal dosage of 4g/l is added after disgorgement. The company owns about 80 hectares of vineyards grown entirely organically. It is a 130-year-old, fifth generation family-owned winery.  The wine has hints of strawberries, raspberries, cherries and red currants. $29

Lambrusco dell’Emilia Rosso DOC “Suoli Cataldi” 2023 Podere G Giardino made from  30% Lambrusco Marani (acidity), 30% Lambrusco Salamino (perfume), 30% Lambrusco Oliva (color and sugar), and 10% Lambrusco Maestri (structure), from  2.1 hectare vineyard. Eco-harvested and co-fermented.  The alcoholic fermentation is in stainless steel with 6 days of maceration on the skins.  Malolactic did not occur.  Secondary fermentation, with the addition of must and yeasts, is in pressurized autoclave.  6g/l residual sugar, but dry-feeling.  Organic and vegan. The has hints of  cherry, strawberry, red currents and violets with a touch of chocolate. $18

Vino Spumante di Qualitá Metodo Classico Brut “In Correggio'”2007. Made from 100% Salamini  Lini 910  Harvest is in September. First there is a cold soak, then the wine is in contact with the skins for 10 to 15 days. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks and in bottle for 10 to 15 days.  There is partial malolactic fermentation.  Cement vats are used for aging. The wine is vegan. The wine has hints of black cherries, rose petals, spice, violets and a touch of almonds. $40

Alan showed us a wide variety of Lambrusco styles which we tasted and discussed.  The tasting demonstrated the wide variety of Lambruscos available today and I enjoyed them very much.  All that was missing was a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano to accompany the wines.