Lambrusco Light

The 2024 Paltrinieri Radice Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC is a sparkling Lambrusco, with a lighter color than most wines of that grape. Labeled as vino frizzante secco, that describes a wine that is bubbly and dry. 

Made from 100% Lambrusco Sorbara grapes, the second fermentation is done in the bottle, like any other sparkling wine. The juice of the Lambrusco di Sorbara is much lighter and zippier than that of the Lambrusco Grasparossa. Alcohol is predictably low, at 11% abv and it cost $28 at Eataly. 

This is a red wine, but it is orange in the glass, and it pours up with a healthy white foam that dissipates rather quickly. The nose is very earthy and unlike most other Lambruscos I have tasted. The aromas center on citrus, apricot, and herbal notes, with a yeasty twist. The flavors are quite earthy, too, and not at all what I would expect from a red wine, even one that's orange. Minerality plays a leading role here, with stone fruit and cherry notes following. 

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