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Friday, September 23, 2011

Ben's Bubbly: Barbolini Lancilloto Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro

For some reason I did not really feel like writing this week. I guess that is why it has taken me all week just to finish this short post. Well, I finally did it an here it is.

Most parents believe their children to be above average. Hell, most people think they're above average. Well, as fun as it is for Ben to be an early sitter, roller and by next week I'm sure an early crawler, I envy the parents of nine-month olds that still just sit in one place. It is fun watching Ben explore the small, and dirty, world of our floor, but his eagerness to roll is having detrimental effects on our ability to change his diapers and bathe him. He usually lies still until his dirty diaper is removed and then he quickly makes a series of rolls off of his changing pad. We collectively hold our breaths and scramble to retrieve the rogue nudist to protect our dry objects from his indiscriminate spray. He also recently decided that bath time is meant to be spent on his stomach moving around the tub. This is all fine and good, until his head gets heavy and he decides to rest it in two inches of water. Needless to say, this does not work. It seems like each and every day he is getting a little stronger and a little quicker. New experiences and quick parental reflexes are the norm these days.

Barbolini Lancilloto, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC

This dry red wine is made from 100% Grasparossa di Castelvetro (local clone of Lambrusco) and from the smallest of five Lambrusco DOC regions. I've had Lambrusco before, but I always thought it was sweet. Not this one. This interesting wine was a new experience for me. It is dark purple, almost black in color. The bubbles dissipate rather quickly. So really this isn't a sparkling wine, but red wine that foams when you pour it. It has aromas of plums, violets and a hint of meat. This is an interesting full-bodied wine with medium tannins with an ever so slight spritz. Dark fruits make up the palate combined with a slight butteriness. Next time you're looking for a dry sparkling red not from Australian shiraz, give Lambrusco a try. 11.5% abv Purchased $13. Good

4 comments:

  1. Glad you gave this wine a try...and discovered what real Lambrusco (Emilians have been drinking this type of Lambrusco for centuries) taste like.

    A couple of 'corrections': Grasparossa (or Lambrusco Grasparossa) is not a local clone of Lambrusco but actually one of 13 autochthonous Lambrusco varieties. The major Lambrusco varieties are: Grasparossa, Sorbara, Salamino, Maestri, Marani and Monterrico.

    Also, there are no longer just 4 DOC/P zones but 11 and 2 IGT/Ps.

    Lambrusco has come a long way in the country and I'm sure, this won't by your first and last bottle Lambrusco secco.

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  2. Thanks for the comment and additional info. The producer referred to grasparossa as being a clone versus a unique cultivar. Also, I can only find info on the 11 DOCs on your website, can you refer me to any other sources for the updated DOC list?

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  3. Where did you buy this wine?

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