Cleto Chiarli's Vigneto Cialdini is a single vineyard sitting in the heart of the Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro denomination. The darker, firmer branch of the Lambrusco family. Ruby-purple with a light bead, it opens on black cherry and raspberry, then fills the mid-palate with blackberry and a dry almond note that keeps everything in balance. Serious Lambrusco is a real thing, and this is what it tastes like.
Winemaker Notes
The Vigneto Cialdini is Cleto Chiarli’s top-of-the-line Lambrusco Grasparossa. With the 2023 vintage the wine has moved into the Vecchia Modena line, as Vecchia Modena Nero. The single vineyard is located in the heart of the Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro denomination, where this member of the Lambrusco family has been cultivated since time immemorial. The wine is made through a single fermentation under pressure, rather than the normal two-fermentation process of almost all other sparkling wines. This is in the brut range, with a slight sweetness detectable. Vigneto Cialdini is the name of the vineyard, dedicated to Enrico Cialdini, who was a famous general during the unification of Italy.
Tasting Notes
Ruby red with purple hues and light effervescence. Intense aromas of black cherry and raspberry. Well-balanced, with flavors of blackberry and almond.
Professional Ratings
90
VinousThe 2021 Lambrusco Grasparossa Vigneto Cialdini bursts from the glass with a perfumed mix of wild berries, crushed rocks and violette pastille. This is zesty in character; soothing bubbles balance its acidity and tart wild berry fruits. The 2021 leaves a bitter twang to linger, pinching at the cheeks with nuances of sour citrus and tart cherries.
About the Producer
The story of Lambrusco is closely intertwined with the Chiarli family of Modena, arguably the most important producers of red sparkling wine in the world. The tale begins with Cleto Chiarli, proprietor of the Modena restaurant Osteria dell'Artigliere in the mid-1800s. As was common for restaurateurs and innkeepers in those days, Chiarli made his own wine to sell at the osteria. Naturally, the wine was made from Lambrusco, the area's primary grape variety, and it was well received by customers—so much so that in 1860 Chiarli was emboldened to found Emilia Romagna's first wine-producing company,…
