The 2010 Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante

During the summer months one of the nicest simple wines to break out is Bardolino Chiaretto, an eminently drinkable rosè made from the same varietals -- Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara -- also used to make Bardolino, which is red.

Some of the region's winemakers also make a sparkling version of Bardolino Chiaretto, Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante. Which can be even nicer.

The 2010 vintage was relatively cool and wet, which makes for lively acidities, and the 2010 Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante, lightly chilled, will be quite nice at cookouts or picnics, and also be a pleasant vino a tutto pasto, (to be drunk throughout the meal) that will work quite well with lighter summer dishes, including pasta salads, stuffed vegetables, and meat dishes served cool.

The wines, tasted on March 5 2011, in the order listed in the Banco D'Assaggio Catalog:

Fulvio Benazzoli

Fulvio Benazzoli Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante Brut 2010
Pale salmon pink with fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is fresh, with wild strawberries and some minty herbal notes laced with sweetness of strawberry jam. Quite fresh. On the palate it's lively, with bright mineral strawberry fruit supported by both sparkle and by some mineral acidity, and flows into a long peppery finish with some pungency from the sparkle. Quite pleasant in a fresh lively key and will work very well with simple pasta dishes or risotti -- vegetable based, with fish -- and will also be nice wi5th creamy main courses, while one could push it into service with pizza too. In short, versatile, and one could also drink it lightly chilled far from the table. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Cà Bottura

Spumante Cà Bottura 2010
Pale rose with brilliant pink reflections and fine white perlage. The bouquet is fairly fresh, and rather mineral, with some berry fruit and some bitterness with slight sweetish accents and hints of bramble. On the palate it's fairly bright, with bitter brambly berry fruit supported by minerality and sparkle that flow into a clean rather bitter brambly finish. It's fairly direct, and more of a food wine than a wine to drink far from the table.
1 star

Cantina Caorsa

Cantina Caorsa Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale onionskin salmon with fine white perlage that's quite persistent. The bouquet is fairly bright, with brambly sparkle and some minerality laced with slight pungency and hints of wet bread. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich bh fruit that has slight blackberry accents and is supported by both sparkle and berry fruit acidity, and flows into a fresh sour finish that gains depth from peppery sparkle. The nose is a little behind at present, but it's pleasant in a sunny sort of way and will work nicely as an aperitif, or with creamy first course dishes, and could also be pleasant at table with creamy main course dishes. Friendly, and this is what Chiaretto is all about. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

Cantina di Castelnuovo di Garda

Cantina di Castelnuovo di Garda Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale rose pink with fine white perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with cherry and strawberry fruit supported by slight sweetness and slight menthol. Fresh. On the palate it revolves more around minerality and savoriness than fruit, with considerable sea salt and underlying bitter accents that flow into a long bitter finish that gains brightness from sparkle. It's up front, will work nicely as an aperitif and will also work well with creamy dishes, both first course and main, and will go quickly.
1 star

Bergamini

Bergamini Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale rose pink with fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with dusky cherry and sour raspberry fruit supported by some leafy underbrush pungency and brambly minerality. On the palate it's quite mineral, with savory brambly accents and peppery sparkle supporting it, and it flows into a clean mineral finish that gains depth from peppery sparkle notes. It's pleasant in a direct key, and will work well as an aperitif or with simple creamy dishes; expect it to go quickly.
1 star

Casaretti

Casaretti Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale salmon pink with fine white perlage. The bouquet is fairly bright, with jammy berry fruit supported by slight greenish accents and some sweetness. On the palate it's fairly rich, with greenish mineral cherry fruit supported by savory notes and sparkle, and flows into a fairly long bitter mineral finish. It will work nicely as an aperitif, and also has enough force in a fairly direct key, to work well with lake fish or similar. It will go quickly.
1 star

Natale Castellani

Natale Castellani Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante
This is a Metodo Classico.
Pale onionskin with brilliant brassy reflections and fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is rich, with jammy cherry raspberry fruit that has some blackberry sweetness and slight savory acidity that adds grace. Pleasant to sniff., and as it opens there are also savory greenish accents. On the palate it's deft, with bright sour cherry raspberry fruit supported by lively raspberry acidity and by pepperiness from the sparkle, which flows into a clean bright raspberry finish with some underlying bitter mineral accents. Graceful, and distinct from the rest of the field; it's a wine that will work quite nicely as an aperitif, or with richer creamier dishes, or lake fish, and will also be nice with friends far from the table.
88-90

Costadoro

Costadoro Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale salmon pink with brassy salmon reflections and fine white perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with lively wild strawberries supported by some vegetal notes and slight savoriness. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich sour strawberry raspberry fruit with lively peppery accents from the sparkle, with provides considerable fullness, and by lively berry fruit acidity with some savory minerality that flows into a clean bright finish that has some mineral accents and fades into sea salt. Quite pleasant, and quite versatile; it will work well from aperitif though creamy second course dishes. Expect it to go quickly, and you will want a second bottle. Worth seeking out.
2 stars

F.lli Zeni

F.lli Zeni Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante Brut 2010
Pale rose pink with brilliant reflections and fine white perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich in a direct key, with berry fruit supported by some pungency and slight jammy accents; there's not much acidity. On the palate it's ample, with moderately rich jammy fruit supported by slight sweetness and moderate mineral acidity that flow into a clean rather bitter finish. It's up front, and quite direct, and will work nicely with an aperitif or with creamy dishes.
1 star

Le Tende

Le Tende Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante Brut 2010
Salmon pink with brilliant salmon reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with intense slightly greenish minerality supported by some berry fruit and cut flowers with some underlying dusky bitterness. On the palate it's fairly bright, with lively savory raspberry cherry fruit supported by fairly bright mineral acidity that flows into a clean savory finish with sour berry fruit underpinning and peppery notes from the sparkle. It will be quite versatile, and though rather direct will go quickly, and you will want a second bottle.
2 stars

Monte Oliveto

Monte Oliveto Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale almost onionskin pink with fine white perlage and brilliant onionskin reflections. the bouquet is fairly intense, with brambly minerality and a degree of pungent cut flours with some savory accents as well. On the palate it's fairly direct, with moderately intense berry fruit that has some sweetish accents and is supported by sparkle and bitter undertones that flow into a fairly long bitter finish It's pleasant in a fairly direct key, and will drink nicely as an aperitif or with creamy dishes.
1 star

Roeno

Roeno Bardolino Chiaretto Matì Rosè 2010
Pale onionskin pink with brilliant reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, and decidedly mineral with some brambly accents and slight brambly fruit that is supported by some mineral acidity. On the palate it's bright, with lively sour berry fruit supported by scrappy brambly accents and bitter minerality that flows into a fairly bitter finish that gains depth from minerality. It's pleasant in a rather mineral key, and will be quite versatile at the table.
2 stars

La Prebenda

La Prebenda Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale salmon pink with brilliant salmon reflections and fine white perlage. The bouquet is intense, and decidedly more vegetal and brambly than many, with some red berry fruit and sea salt as well. On the palate it's bright, with sour cherry fruit supported by savory minerality and some bitterness, while there is also some sour berry fruit acidity, and it flows into a fairly long sour berry fruit finish with some peppery notes. It's fairly direct, but has a scrappy liveliness to it, and will be quite nice with rich foods, including fried fish. It grew on me.
2 stars

Enzo Righetti

Enzo Righetti Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale pink with brilliant pinkish reflections and fine white perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich in a direct key, with sour cherry fruit supported by greenish pungent accents and hints of mentholated sweetness. On the palate it's decidedly sweet by comparison with the rest of the field, with moderately intense sour berry fruit supported by berry fruit minerality that gains depth from the sparkle, and flows into a fairly long rather sweet finish with some bitter underpinning as well. It's more direct than some, and there is the sweetness, which will make it more of a wine to drink as an aperitif than with the meal, I think.
1 star

San Zeno

San Zeno Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale salmon pink with salmon reflections and fine white perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, and fairly sweet, with cut flowers and fairly intense minerality mingled with some savory notes as well. On the palate it's fairly direct, with powerful mineral laced sour cherry fruit supported by bitter accents and sparkle, which flow into a fairly long savory finish with lasting bitterness and sparkle. Pleasant in a direct key and will be versatile, working well with a variety of foods, from antipasti through fried fish or fried meats and vegetables. Expect it to go quickly.
2 stars

Tre Colline

Tre Colline Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Salmon with brilliant salmon reflections and fine white perlage. The bouquet is fairly intense, with greenish bitter accents, mingled with minerality and spice. On the palate it's moderately sweet and quite mineral with some underlying savory accents that carry into a fairly mineral finish that gains depth from savory sparkle.
1 star

Valletti

Valletti Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale onionskin pink with brilliant almost brassy reflections and fine white perlage. The bouquet is intense, with greenish vegetal accents mingled with sour berry fruit and some bitter pungency that brings wet leaves to mind. On the palate it's bright, with pleasant sour berry fruit supported by minerality and berry fruit acidity, and by peppery accents from the sparkle, which flow into a clean bright mineral finish with cherry raspberry underpinning with slight sweetness that provides a bit of roundness. It's graceful in a bright key, and will be quite versatile at table, and because of the sweetness that underpins it. Will also be nice with friends far from the table when you want a wine to open and drink without making it the center of attention.
2 stars

Vigneti Villabella

Vigneti Villabella Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 2010
Pale pink with brilliant pinkish reflections and fine perlage. The bouquet is pungent, with slightly bitter brambly accents that are clearly youth, and as they blow away jammy berry fruit with fairly bright berry fruit acidity. On the palate it's fairly direct, with bright mineral laced sour berry fruit supported by mineral acidity that carries into a long mineral finish that gains depth from the sparkle, and slight underlying bitterness. It's pleasant in a scrappy tomboyish key, and because of its acidity will work well with a variety of dishes, including the fried meats or fish that are so nice on a hot day. Expect it to go quickly, and you will want a second bottle.
2 stars

Costadoro: Fine Wines from Bardolino

One comes across wineries in many ways. I was much impressed by the Azienda Agricola Costadoro's Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante at the Bardolino presentation this winter, and when I had to go to Bardolino for a weekend this spring discovered they have an Agriturismo and stayed there. It's quite nice -- towards the top of the hill overlooking Bardolino, with a beautiful view of Lake Garda -- and there's a pool too, though it wasn't warm enough when I was there to make swimming attractive.

Costadoro is very much a family business, with Valentino Lonardi handling the winemaking, while his wife oversees the Agriturismo. And, to round out the picture, their relatives run the Ristorante Costadoro, which we much enjoyed.

Bottom line: If you visit Lake Garda, the Agriturismo Costadoro is an excellent place to stay, and you will likely find yourself rearranging your bags before you depart to make room for some wine.

Finding Costadoro beyond Bardolino will be a bit more difficult, though the winery is listed on Snooth. It is well worth looking for.

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Garda Garnega DOC 2009
Lot 20-335
Lively straw yellow with brilliant highlights and white rim. The bouquet is fresh and vinous, with lively slightly brambly heather and dried hay supported by lively mineral acidity. Refreshing in a direct, up front key, On the palate it's bright, with lively lemony fruit supported by some bitter mineral acidity that flows into a fairly long bitter mineral finish that gains depth from savory overtones. Pleasant, and an ideal summer wine that will work very well with quickly cooked fish or white meats, fried fish or meats, and also with pasta salads or summer pasta dishes, for example spaghetti al pesto. In short, versatile, and it will go quickly.
2 stars

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Garda Cortese DOC 2009
Lot 20-032
Brassy yellow with brilliant brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fresh, and frairl rich, with honeysuckle and tangerine mingled with underlying clover honey; it's fairly opulent. On the palate it's ample, in a rather languid key, with honey-laced white berry fruit supported by citric acidity and slight peppery notes that provide a counterpoint to the richness of the fruit and help keep it in line, flowing into a clean rather languid finish. Pleasant in a softer key than the Garganega, and will work better with more delicate dishes, along the lines of steamed fish, and I might also be tempted to serve it with delicate vegetable based egg dishes, for example a zucchini frittata. Given its languidity it will also be nice with mildly spiced Oriental dishes for example those from Canton.
2 stars

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Bardolino Chiaretto Classico 2009
Lot 20-336
Pale salmon with brilliant electric pink-salmon reflections. The bouquet is rich, with lively sour strawberry fruit supported by some heather and pleasant berry fruit acidity. Quite refreshing, and invites another sniff. On the palate it's full, with fairly rich cherry strawberry fruit supported by moderately intense slightly brambly sour cherry acidity, and by light dusky tannins that have a very slight burr, and flow into a clean rather bright sour berry fruit finish with heather more than bramble overtones. Quite nice and will be a perfect cookout or picnic wine, and will also work well indoors with pasta salads, and other simple dishes along those lines. Or burgers; there's also a degree of languidity to it -- the acidity isn't exaggerated -- and because of this I would think to serve it with more spiced oriental dishes, say Hunaan Chinese or Thai, because there aren't the strong tannins of a red to clash with the spices. Worth seeking out -- it has improved since I tested it this winter -- and expect it to go quickly.
2 stars


Costadoro Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante DOC 2009
Pale salmon with salmon reflections and brilliant salmon reflections and fine white perlage. The bouquet is muted, an effect of recent bottling, though swishing brings up floral accents and slight berry fruit. On the palate it's bright, with fairly rich savory berry fruit supported by clean bright acidity and spice; a fellow taster also finds mustard, which is there, and works very well, adding brightness and uplifting (as she says) the fruit . Quite pleasant, and when the nose has caught up with the palate (by June 2010) it will be perfect for a picnic or cookout, and also nice with summer foods enjoyed indoors. Worth seeking out.
88-90

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Lonardi Vino Spumante di Qualità Metodo Classico Chiaretto Demi Sec DOC
Non Vintage; disgorged 2010
Elegant salmon with fine persistent perlage. The bouquet is fairly rich, with heather-laced sour cherry and raspberry fruit supported by some sweetness and berry fruit acidity. Nice balance. On the palate it's full and rich, with clean sour raspberry fruit supported by bright acidity, and by the sparkle, which brings considerable creaminess into the picture, and it all flows into a clean bright sour raspberry finish with underlying savory accents that emerge as the acidity fades. To be quite honest, the acidity is such that had I not read the label I would not have guessed it was a demi sec; it seems considerably drier, and will work very well with foods, ranging from creamy fish or vegetable-based risotti though grilled fish, and will also work nicely as an aperitif if you are so inclined. Impressive, and well worth seeking out.
90-91

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Bardolino Classico Novello DOC 2009
Lot 19-302
Novelli are intended to be drunk young, in the first few months following the harvest, so this is by now older than one would normally expect of a Novello, but Valentino gave me a bottle to see how it has held up. It's dusky cherry ruby with black reflections, and has a classic Novello nose,with ith the candied berry fruit that comes from carbonic maceration, supported by considerable sandalwood nutmeg spice that is, I think, something that has developed with time, because the dominant aspect of a young Novello nose is fruit, and with more swishing dusky bitter graphite accents also emerge. Quite alive, in any case. On the palate it's light, with fairly rich sour cherry fruit that has some floral accents -- it brings hyacinths to mind -- supported by sour berry fruit acidity and very smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean rather sour berry fruit finish that gins depth from a sweetish underpinning and vegetal accents. It has held up very well, and though it is no longer what one expects of a Novello, will still drink nicely now at a cookout featuring simple white meats or burgers and such -- lightly chilled -- should you come across a bottle. I enjoyed it.
1 star

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Bardolino Classico DOC 2009
Lot 20-356
Deep cherry ruby with black reflections and rim paling to white. The bouquet is bright, with rich brambly cherry fruit supported by some sandalwood notes and some berry fruit spice; there is also dusky bitterness and very slight sweetness. On the palate it's light, with moderate berry fruit supported by light smooth tannins and fairly rich mineral acidity that gains depth from peppery accents and flow into a clean cherry finish with some underlying acidity. The palate isn't quite as rich as I had hoped from the nose, and this is also an effect of the 2009 vintage, which was more difficult than some; this said, it's a pleasant and quite versatile quaffing wine that will work very well with simple grilled meats along the lines of burgers or chicken, and also with the other fixings of a cookout, including pasta salads or creamy things such as potato salad. Expect the bottle to go quickly, and you will want another.
2 stars

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Broi Bardolino Classico DOC 2008
Lot 19-134
This is a vineyard selection, and has a pleasant hand-written label; in terms of aging it spends a year in steel. The wine is lively cherry ruby with brilliant ruby reflections and white rim. The bouquet is rich, and quite elegant, with berry fruit supported by fresh rich floral accents -- violets -- and hints of pomegranate; it's a distinct step up from the basic Bardolino, and while this is in part its being a vineyard selection, it's also the vintage, as 2008 was much better than 2009. On the palate it's ample, with rich cherry fruit supported by sour berry fruit acidity and by smooth tannins that do have some dusky bitter brambly accents that provide depth and vigor, and flow into a clean fresh dusky berry fruit finish that lasts considerably. Very pleasant, and will work quite well with grilled meats, light roasts, and I would also think about it in the context of roasted white meats with gravy -- turkey, for example -- that would be overcome by a richer, more tannic red. Worth seeking out.
88-90

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Bardolino Superiore Classico DOC 2007
Lot 19-224
This is, the label says, barrique aged; it's lively ruby with black reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly rich, with berry fruit laced with vanilla and some dusky accents as well, and some underlying mineral acidity. Pleasant, because the fruit is there, but more brooding than the unoaked wines. On the palate it's medium bodied, ample and rich, with bright ripe cherry fruit supported by lively berry fruit acidity and by smooth sweet tannins that flow into a clean fairly long sour berry fruit finish. The palate is brighter and richer than one would expect from the nose, and I found myself rather enjoying it; it will work well with grilled meats or light roasts, including creamier things along the lines of chicken pot pie, and it also has the acidity necessary to stand up to fried meats. I confess to having been doubtful at seeing the word barriques on the label, but was pleasantly surprised, because they support without impinging. Nicely done, and deft.
90

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Broi Bardolino Classico DOC 2007
Lot 19-204
This is, like the Superiore, aged in barriques, and says so on the label (which is not hand-written). It's deep cherry ruby with black reflections and white rim. The bouquet is fairly intense, with berry fruit mingled with more pungent oak than is present in the Superiore, which to a degree overshadows the fruit, while there is also some peppery sandalwood spice. On the palate it's ample, with moderately intense sour berry fruit supported by sour cherry acidity and tannins that have warm savory accents and a slight vanilla underpinning, though, as is the case with the Superiore, the oak is less evident on the nose than the palate. This wine is by comparison with the Superiore more acidic and slightly less concentrated in terms of fruit, which is more towards the sour end of the cherry spectrum, while the finish has sour cherry acidity and some sandalwood and is fairly long. It's a bit more traditional in feel than the Superiore, especially on the palate, and also a bit more aggressive; it's very much a food wine and will be nice with grilled meats, including heartier fare such as a Porterhouse steak, but you have to like the style. If you like smoother softer wines along the lines of Merlot, you will prefer the Superiore to this. If a zesty Barbera is instead your preference, this is right up your alley.
2 stars

Azienda Agricola Costadoro Bianco Polsà Vino Da Tavola
Lot 19-201
This is a passito made from selected white grapes that are allowed to riposare, or rest. As is the case with the unoaked Broi, the label is hand-written. It's pale brassy yellow with brilliant faintly greenish brassy reflections and white rim. The bouquet is rich, with heather and honeysuckle mingled with sweetness -- not honey, but rather very ripe peach with a few mint leaves -- and a pleasant spicy airiness. On the palate it's full and quite sweet, with ample yellow peach and apricot fruit supported by considerable sweetness at the outset, which gives way to lively sour apricot acidity with some buttery accents, and flows into a long apricot acidity finish with some underlying minerality and brambly warmth. It's unusual, with acidity that brings the initial sweetness to heel and keeps the wine from being cloying, and this invites one to sip again. If you enjoy sweet wines you will enjoy it, because it has something to say and also works well with acidity, which is much more interesting that sweetness by itself.
90