Guerrieri Rizzardi "Delara" Montebaldo Bardolino 2021

Description

Guerrieri Rizzardi’s Delara Montebaldo Bardolino 2021 is a fresh fruity red wine and the very first vintage of this wine from the newly established Bardolino Cru, Montebaldo. It replaces “Tacchetto” Bardolino and is also produced from the same grape varieties as Valpolicella. In this Delara Bardolino the blend of grapes is 95% Corvina and 10% Rondinella and it is lighter and fruitier – and better – than many basic Valpolicellas. Corvina brings black cherry aromas with acidity and elegance; Rondinella adds floral notes – think roses – and red fruits like wild strawberries. This wine is completely unoaked with fermentation and short aging taking place in stainless steel tanks in order to preserve the fruit-forward character of the wine. There are also hints of minerality and spices. This is elegant, long lasting but fresh, light in colour, relatively low in alcohol with soft tannins, so perfect for immediate consumption. Good Bardolino is hard to find in the UK; I think the Italians try to keep it all to themselves. But this Cru Bardolino from one of my favourite Italian producers, Guerrieri Rizzardi is superb. And I’m not alone in thinking that – Delara Montebaldo Bardolino 2021 won several awards in this its first vintage including the prestigious top prize of a Golden Crown by renowned Italian wine guide, Vinibuoni d’Italia.

In a bid to highlight the quality and distinctiveness of Bardolino Cru, the Bardolino appellation saw some rule changes from 2020 including the creation of three Crus or subzones with more stringent regulations – in fact these three Crus were first identified in the 1820s. Cru wines are required to have reduced maximum yields and undergo one year or more of maturation – as opposed to the usual three months). In addition the permitted proportions of Corvina and Rondinella grapes were altered to 35%-95% (previously capped at 80%) and 5%-40% respectively (with maximums also stipulated for other permitted grapes). Rizzardi has gone for the maximum 95% Corvina in this Delara Montebaldo Bardolino 2021 which they consider their “top interpretation of Corvina from our zone… Made in limited quantities from our vineyards in the Montebaldo cru zone, DELARA is a reflection of what is capable from Corvina grown on our terroir. A beautiful, bright, ruby wine whose personality is a mixture of elegance, vibrancy and complexity.”