In the Garda basin, the indisputable quality of the best Bardolino echoes Chiaretto with personality and grit. Let’s refer back to the comments made by the editors of our guide Vini d’Italia. For some years now, versions have multiplied that feature surprising gustatory layering, capable of evolving significantly a couple of years after the harvest.
Bardolino - panorama Lago Garda - photo Consorzio vini Bardolino
Bardolino Chiaretto, one of the most renowned rosés of Northern Italy, comes to life on the Veronese shore of Lake Garda, where the climate is quite temperate thanks also to the waters of the Lake, which act as a thermal regulator. In Bardolino Chiaretto, the leading grape variety is Corvina Veronese, sometimes supported by small percentages of other typical Veronese grapes: Corvinone, Molinara, and Rondinella.
We are dealing with wines of a light pink color, with bright reflections, wines that play on freshness and agility, a framework on which the threads given by the different grape varieties and production areas are then woven.
As we have already had the opportunity to emphasize, last year's tastings were highly satisfying in Veneto, definitely determined by a series of excellent vintages such as 2021 and 2022 which, although diametrically opposed, gave rise to wines with refined aromas and great tension and agility dynamics in the first case, and intensely fruity, approachable, and immediate wines in the second. Considerations that also apply to Bardolino Chiaretto.
Bardolino Chiaretto Tre Bicchieri and Due Bicchieri Rossi
While waiting for the results of the ongoing tastings for the 2025 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia guide, here are the Bardolino Chiaretto wines that impressed us the most last year among those awarded Tre Bicchieri or Due Bicchieri Rossi, having reached the finals during the tastings for the 2024 Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia guide.
Simply fantastic is the Traccia di Rosa '21, whose pale pink color might suggest a simple, easy-drinking wine, but even approaching the glass to the nose, you perceive the different stature of Matilde Poggi's Chiaretto. A Bardolino Chiaretto that begins with subtle and almost hidden aromas by sulfur notes that dissolve to let wzild fruit and peppery notes emerge. The sip is dry, savory, and marked by an acidic grit that gives it length and drinkability. The aromas, alongside small fruits and floral notes, offer mineral hints, fine herbs, and an intense spicy nuance.
The Bardolino Chiaretto 2022 from Gorgo is delicate in its aromatic expression but endowed with a saline, juicy palate of great pleasure. The territory extending south of the Garda basin consists of gentle hills rising a few dozen meters from the surrounding plain, dotted with vineyards alternating with wooded areas, orchards, and arable land. Here, Roberta Bricolo operates, leading a splendid organic farm that can rely on a 50-hectare vineyard platform, largely occupied by grapes destined for the historical denominations of the territory, Custoza for whites and Bardolino for reds.
The 2022 Chiaretto from the Vigne Alte line by Zeni 1879, which we awarded as the rosé wine with the best value for money, is a pale rosé flaunting aromas of small fruits and flowers, characterized by a juicy sip of great pleasure. The relationship between viticulture and the Zeni family goes back a long way, but it is with the entry of Gaetano "Nino" in the post-war period that the company made a quality leap; today, the adventure is continued by his children Elena, Federica, and Fausto. The viticultural platform spans 25 hectares, but close collaboration with numerous winegrowers in the Garda area and nearby Valpolicella is crucial to ensuring a high-quality standard. In the cellar, a production dedicated to the main Veronese denominations comes to life.
Very good is the 2022 Chiaretto Villa Cordevigo from Vigneti Villabella, a refined and juicy rosé. Despite more than half a century having passed, the partnership between the Cristoforetti and Delibori families continues its oenological journey with the same commitment and enthusiasm that characterized its beginnings in 1971. The beating heart of the company revolves around the Villa Cordevigo estate, a true viticultural and environmental oasis among the morainic folds of Cavaion, where the viticultural platform surrounding the Relais is managed organically and gives rise to a wide and refined range of wines.
Very interesting is the 2020 Chiaretto Metodo Classico by Gentili, a sparkling wine with a juicy and refined profile. The Gentili company began its activities on Carlo's initiative in 1979, but it was about a dozen years ago, with the stable entry of Elisa and Enrico, that the quality leap was made: alongside the activity of selling to other bottlers, the production of proprietary wines was started, which today are among the most interesting that the Garda area has to offer. The vineyards are distributed in the northern Bardolino area, where the hills wedge between the Garda shore and Monte Baldo, with fresh breezes descending from the Valdadige.
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