Dry and fruity with a pretty combination of grapey fruit and graphite. Medium body. Light fizz. Drink now
MENU
|
![]() |
WINE LOCATOR
SEARCH
|
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, the 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, the Cantina Cleto Chiarli. The company thrived, and eventually, under the Chiarli 1860 name, it became the largest privately-owned producer of Lambrusco.
The Chiarli family was also instrumental in taking Lambrusco from being just one among innumerable Italian local wines to its status as a popular international phenomenon and one of the country’s primary exports. A century after the winery’s founding, the Chiarli family pioneered the use of the Charmat or tank method of sparkling wine production for Lambrusco. Whereas the customary “ancestral” method always resulted in dry, fizzy, cloudy wines because it continued to ferment inside the bottle after it was sealed, Charmat-method Lambrusco introduced several advantages. It allowed filtration to make the wine clear, offered the opportunity to increase the bottle pressure to the fully sparkling level, and made it possible to bottle a wine that would retain residual sugar. The new Lambrusco—sweet, red, clear, and effervescent—became a sensation, and for a couple of decades, it was the most-imported wine category in the United States.
|
LOCATIONWINERY: Tenuta Cialdini, Castelvetro (Modena province), Emilia Romagna VINEYARD: Modena province, Emilia Romagna VIEW IN GOOGLE MAPS REGION DETAILS |
|
91
APRIL 2019
Cleto Chiarli “Vigneto Cialdini” Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC Brut 2018
![]() Dry and fruity with a pretty combination of grapey fruit and graphite. Medium body. Light fizz. Drink now ![]() SEPTEMBER 2020
Cleto Chiarli “Lambrusco del Fondatore” Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC 2019
![]() 90
DECEMBER 2021
Cleto Chiarli “Lambrusco del Fondatore” Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC 2020
![]() This Lambrusco di Sorbara shows the light red, ruby-tinged hue and lip-smacking acidity of the variety, with the lively mousse carrying a pretty range of crushed raspberry, blood orange granita, dried thyme and iron. Clean-cut, refreshing and lightly chalky on the finish. Enjoy this with some cheese and salumi. Drink now. 3,500 cases made, 600 cases imported. 93
JUNE 2021
Cleto Chiarli “Centenario” Lambrusco di Modena DOC Amabile NV
![]() Now this is superb. Very intensely perfumed and flavorful, and very much like a blackberry fruit cocktail that is neither too sweet nor dry. Finishes very long and pure, showcasing exceptional acid-fruit-tannin balance and just the right amount of residual sweetness (this is more off-dry than dry, but barely off-dry at that). It bears repeating, this is a real knockout. Drinking window: now-2022 91
APRIL 2022
Cleto Chiarli “Vecchia Modena Premium” Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut Frizzante 2020
![]() Intense, enticing aromas of wild red berries, crushed herbs, citrus and white rose come to the forefront on this lovely sparkler. Thoroughly enjoyable, the lithe, savory palate features juicy strawberry, red cherry and orange zest before closing on a hint of fennel seed. Bright acidity and a polished mousse provide freshness and a smooth texture. ![]() SEPTEMBER 2021
Cleto Chiarli “Vecchia Modena Premium” Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut Frizzante 2020
![]() 90
NOVEMBER 2021
Cleto Chiarli “Vecchia Modena Premium” Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Brut Frizzante 2020
![]() The 2020 Lambrusco di Sorbara Vecchia Modena Premium is a pretty, pinkish red color with rosy florals that give way to wild strawberry and hints of tangerine. This is finely etched and full of salty tension, peppering the senses with mineral-tinged cherries and savory spice. It leaves the mouth salivating for more through the long tart-berry finale. 93
JANUARY 2021
Cleto Chiarli “Lambrusco del Fondatore” Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC 2020
![]() Morello cherry and violet aromas take center stage on this savory sparkler. The dry, refined palate delivers juicy Morello cherry, blood orange, fennel seed and white pepper alongside a refined perlage and bright acidity. |