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Bardolino Chiaretto DOC
Veneto, Italy
Lake Garda’s breezes shape this delicate rosé style known as Chiaretto, where early-picked Corvina and Rondinella undergo brief skin contact to yield pale colour and graceful aromatics. Tantini presses gently and ferments at low temperatures in stainless steel, preserving freshness and vibrancy. The result is a refined, bone-dry rosé with a fine, mineral finish. Strawberry, citrus peel and rose petal lead the nose, while the palate is zippy and precise with refreshing acidity and chalky tension. A perfect choice for hot weather and light meals, it’s wonderful with seafood salads, caprese, grilled courgettes or simply as an aperitif. Elegant, crisp and quietly complex.
The Producer
A lawyer by training and a winemaker by choice, Giovanna wants - like so many of our principals - to prove to the world that it is possible to make great wine in unfashionable appellations. With the help of Federico Curtaz and Attilio Pagli, two of Italy’s leading consultants, she is well on her way to restoring Bardolino’s somewhat tarnished reputation. A native of the region, Giovanna was as surprised as anyone when Bardolino Superiore was promoted to DOCG status.
It is a sprawling appellation with little to distinguish ‘Classico’ and ‘Superiore’ from the straight Bardolino. Giovanna’s choices - including high density planting, new clones, and very low yields - are far more relevant. Her wines are concentrated but still light with fragrant redcurrant and cinnamon notes on the Bardolino. As good as it is, however, I prefer the Chiaretto. Back in 2008 Giovanna dragged me around what appeared to be every square metre of the estate showing exactly how she’d coaxed her beloved Corvina to a perfect state of maturity so that she would not be required to macerate on the skins to obtain the colour. In my book it’s Italy’s finest rosato, with just a dash of colour and gorgeous intensity.
