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Gambero Rosso 2010-2014 | Tre Bicchieri
Italian Wines 2014
"Una regione, due macro territori (almeno). L'Emilia con le dinamiche del Lambrusco e il suo successo senza precedenti; la Romagna e le evoluzioni dei suoi Sangiovese. Anticipazione ufficiale per i Tre Bicchieri emilianoromagnoli Emilia Romagna: specializzazione territoriale, quantità e qualità in netta crescita. Con grande merito delle cantine cooperative. Vale per l’Emilia, con il Lambrusco, e vale anche per la Romagna dove la produzione più importante resta quella di Sangiovese. Ma se anni fa le migliori espressioni di questo vitigno erano tutte tra le Riserva oggi tra i premiati anche diversi Superiore. Successo senza precedenti per il Lambrusco che ora deve crescere, accettare oneri e onori dell’annata indicata in etichetta - ancora troppi non la riportano - osare su macerazioni più lunghe, e lavorare sull’opportunità della rifermentazione in bottiglia senza sboccatura, metodo qui più convincente del metodo classico. Se Modena e Reggio sono le provincie del Lambrusco, Parma si può affermare come territorio di Barbera frizzante, mentre i Colli Bolognesi oggi sono un grande laboratorio sul pignoletto." - Gambero Rosso
Italian Wines 2013
"Ci sono Lambrusco di volume e grande suadenza che nulla hanno a che fare con la tradizione emiliana, ma che hanno un certo successo commerciale. Noi abbiamo cercato di avere una visione che andasse oltre il breve periodo, premiando la lettura più fedele dei territori, quella che secondo noi può esprimere qualità su lungo periodo. È una scelta filosofica che prende il concetto di buono e lo interpreta anche nel suo essere cultura. " -GamberoRosso.it
Italian Wines 2012
Emilia Romagna:
"Lambrusco also achieved an epoch-making result, gaining unprecedented prominence with a Three Glass product. This year's star is undoubtedly the incisive, elegant Sorbara, which is the most challenging and rewarding of all the Lambruscos." - Italian Wines 2012
Cleto Chiarli
Annual Production: 24,000,000 bottles
Hectares Under Vine: 110 "Twenty-four million bottles is an impressive figure but the history of Chiarli 1860 is made of more than numbers. The impressive talents of brothers Anselmo and Mauro Chiarli are now being focused on a new project, a modern winemaking facility at Castelvetro that will process the fruit from their 120 hectares or so of estate vineyards. In turn, this experience has become a kind of laboratory that has changed the broader outlook of the group overall and boosted the quality of its range of products." - Italian Wines 2012 Ermete Medici
Annual Production: 800,000 bottles
Hectares Under Vine: 60 "The Medici family stands out from other wineries for its firm belief that Lambrusco could march head high into the global markets with top-quality labels that would effectively give the lie to the pervasive stereotype of Lambrusco as a sweet and simple product. And yes, if restaurants across the globe list a Lambrusco - and they do so ever more frequently - that label will most likely be Ermete Medici. Behind this success lie Alberto Medici's marketing efforts but even more fundamental is the modernization the Medicis carried out before everyone else and the high-quality wines they have been producing for more than 20 years now from their own meticulously cared-for hillside vineyards." - Italian Wines 2012 Paltinieri
Annual Production: 60,000 bottles
Hectares Under Vine: 15 "Alberto Paltrinieri and his wife Barbara devote passionate attention to this modest-sized winery, which has already made a name for itself in the area. They make only Sorbara, sourced from their 15 hectares of vineyard in Cristo, the village that has become the evocative symbol for a light-bodied, fresh Lambrusco that is enchanting wine lovers. Alberto, the heir of three generations of growers to have tended this property, makes wines that are clearly the offspring of bold decisions. His products are wines of the untrammeled essence, almost extreme in their purity, always compelling and deservedly successful." - Italian Wines 2012 
Italian Wines 2011
Emilia Romagna:
"Emilia Romagna's Three Glasses awarded failed to grow but the region is growing in the complexity of its wines, in interpreting its terroirs consistently and in establishing the language in which to express them...The fine world of Emilia Lambrusco, though hit with a difficult vintage, merits its two Three Glasses and proves that serious commitment will bring excellent results. The producers who are taking their lead from their vineyards demonstrate that this is the key to high quality and an understanding of terroir and of their diversity is fueling a heartening local renewal." - Gambero Rosso 2011
Chiarli 1860
Annual Production: 24,000,000 bottles
Hectares under Vine: 110 Viticulture Method: Conventional "The Lambrusco world is largely inhabited by industrial-scale wines, using grapes and musts bought in from all over the area, but today it also vaunts ambitiously well-crafted wines; even in large, successful wineries such as Chiarli 1860. Anselmo and Mauro Chiarli invested in Villa Cialdini, which uses only estate fruit, sorbara at Sozzigalli and grasparossa at Castelvetro. The results have been excellent, with knock-on effect for the larger scale producers as well. Three Glasses go to Sorbara del Fondatore '09, a stunner partially bottle-fermented. Slightly hazy, since it isn't disgorged, and Janus-like in its complexity and austerity, it pours out floral and mineral impressions, while finely honed contours keep it driving forward." - Italian Wines 2010 Ermete Medici
Annual Production: 800,000 bottles
Hectares under Vine: 60 Viticulture Method: Conventional "The Medici family traditionally vinifies bought-in grapes but their high-quality wines are made from their own grapes, as well grown in skilfully managed estate vineyards. Giorgio Medici has carried out significant research into vinification and Medici wines today, which are increasingly impressive, represent the fruition of programmes conducted with commitment and professionalism. Their cru-based philosophy, an approach innovative and rare in the world of Lambrusco, is showing astonishing results. Three Glasses once again go to Concerto, the winery's most iconic label. The '09, all salamino, vaunts a no-nonsense nose, here and there somewhat country-ish but clean-contoured and fruit laden. The sapidity and rhythmic progression in the mouth are magisterial, right through to a dry, rich finish." - Gambero Rosso 2010 The end of 'grape discrimination'. The first 3 glasses for Lambrusco.
Italian Wines 2010
Emilia Romagna:
"The Emilia area, from Parma to Modena via Reggio-Emilia, made an amazing leap forward in quality, with twice as many profiles and a first-ever Three Glass award for two Lambruscos, a Sorbara and a Reggiano. This extraordinary success rewards continuing investment by larger wineries in the quality and hard work of small growers, who have started producing well-defined, reliably focused wines. At last, sign of a a renaissance in Lambrusco, a new culture that stands proudly alongside the area's tradition of fine bottlers and retailers." - Italian Wines 2010
Chiarli 1860
Annual Production: 24,000,000 bottles
Hectares Under Vine: 110 "Large-scale production of Lambrusco from bought-in grapes is flanked nowadays by commercially significant businesses like this, making ambitiously well-crafted wines sourced from the estate's own vineyards. The results have been excellent for a number of years and the experience acquired with these grapes has a knock-on effect on large-scale production, as Anselmo Chiarli and Roberto Saletta, who run this major winery, can testify. There was a milestone result for the winery and Lambrusco in general: Three Glasses went to Sorbara Vecchia Modena Premium '08 for its fragrant floral aromas, marked minerality, lean, incisive palate and bags of complexity and length. The similarly styled Sorbara del Fondatore '08 re-fermentation without disgorgement. The Villa Cialdini '08 is also nicely compact, well made and vibrant. Grasparossa's character is different, nicely embodied in the austere Pruno Nero '08 with its cherries and white peaches, and dynamic, dry palate. The Nivola '08 from grasparossa and salamino is dense and juicy." - Italian Wines 2010 Ermete Medici
Annual Production: 800,000 bottles
Hectares Under Vine: 60 Viticulture Method: Conventional "The Medici family traditionally produces wines from grapes bought in from other growers, as well as fine quality wines from the estate's own grapes, harvested in well-managed vineyards and crafted to achieve ambitious results. Giorgio Medici has carried out significant research into fermentation and today's products are the increasingly impressive culmination of a process conducted with great passion and skill. This successful example of a cu-oriented philosophy is rare in Lambrusco but shows astonishing results. Three Glasses went to the wine that best represents the estate, the 100 per cent salamino Concerto '08. This perfectly centered wine is elegant and traditional in style, combining a down-to-earthiness on the nose with very crisp cherry fruit and a perfect balance of wight, tannin and acidity on the palate. Assolo '08, from ancellotta and salamino, also made the finals, where is showed alluringly creamy, fruity and generous, with lots of juicy flavour. The Metodo Classico Gran Concerto '07, disgorged in 2009, is a 100 per cent salamino bottle with perfectly ripe fruit." - Italian Wines 2010 |
The very first 'tre bicchieri' for Lambrusco were handed out in the 2010 guide...after Gambero Rosso abolished 'grape discrimination'.
1. Lambrusco Frizzante Secco
2. Lambrusco Spumante Secco a. min. 85% Salamino
b. min. 85 % Sorbara (grape) Reggio
Who'll be next?
Concerto (1a)
Ermete Medici 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 Sorbara (town)
First Lambrusco DOCG?
Rimosso (1b)
Cantina della Volta 2014 Leclisse (1b)
Paltrinieri 2012 Mantova
Who'll be first?
CastelvetroWho'll be first?
Santa CroceWho'll be first?
Parma
Who'll be first?
Scandiano e Canossa
Who'll be first?
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