Cavalchina, Bardolino Chiaretto Rose 2024

Producer: Cavalchina
Region: Veneto, Italy
Varietals: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara
Viticulture: Certified Sustainable
Category: Rose                                                                                                                            Size: 750 ml

When Franco Piona of Cavalchina isn’t on tour with Billy Gibbons and Steve Vai as their trusted guitar tech, he makes his home near Lake Garda, in the tiny village of Custoza. His family has deep roots here; they single-handedly created the Custoza appellation in the 1970s, after 10 years of labeling their wines as Custoza, but their history here goes back even further. It was Franco’s grandfather Luciano that planted the first vineyards and started making wine in 1948 after World War II. Lake Garda and the surrounding hills were cut by receding glaciers after the ice age, and the resulting morainic soils are excellent for the cultivation of grapes. Today, brothers Franco and Luciano are at the helm of their grandfather’s estate. Amedeo, their “superiore” cuvee, has won the coveted Tre Bicchieri award from Gambero Rosso fourteen years in a row, and their absolutely delightful Bardolino Chiaretto Rose just scored 93 points from Vinous “A lovely Rosé from a recognized master in the making of Chiaretto.”

The grapes are harvested about a week earlier than for the straight Bardolino to preserve freshness, and varieties are all fermented together in stainless steel.  Aged on its lees until bottling in February.