20 May Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara del Fondatore 2018

Once thought of as a cheap , sweet and fizzy Italian wine,  Lambrusco has often been defamed. But, if you think you know Lambrusco and do not think much of it, the Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara del Fondatore 2018 will change any pre-conceived ideas you have and that is why it is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

Lambrusco can be produced in a range of styles but today most Lambruscos are dry or slightly sweet and frizzante (semi-sparkling). Lambrusco is a family of grape varieties grown in the Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. There are four primary grapes in the family: Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Maestri, Lambrusco Grasparossa, and Lambrusco Salamino. The Cleto Chiarli Tenute Agricole Lambrusco di Sorbara del Fondatore 2018 is made from Lambrusco di Sorbara. Lambrusco di Sorbara is the lightest and most floral of the Lambrusco grapes.

Based in Emilia Romagna, Cleto Chiarli was the first wine producer in the region and is the oldest Lambrusco producer. Established in 1860, today the winery is run by the eighth generation of the family. The largest privately-owned producer of Lambrusco, the Chiarli family was instrumental in making Lambrusco one of the country’s primary exports.

Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Sorbara del Fondatore 2018 is made in the ancetral method in which the secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle and is unfiltered. The wine is a light pink color. It is a bright, fruity wine with aromas of cherry, strawberry, watermelon and violets. On the palate, the wine is dry yet mouthwatering. It lingers on the palate making you want more. It is no wonder this wine received Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso.

And the best part? This delicious wine costs only $15.99 and is available at Wine.com.