For almost a century, Lambrusco has rhymed with Cavicchioli. It is impossible not to think of the former without associating it with the name of the winery that, since 1928, has represented a cornerstone in the universe of the Modena declination of the historic Emilian red sparkling wine. But when we talk about Cavicchioli and Lambrusco, it is to a specific corner of Emilia that we must first look: that suited strip of land between the Secchia and Panaro rivers, in the territory of Sorbara, where you can find a symbolic vineyard of five hectares that today gives life to a wine that bears its name, recently awarded for the 11th time with the Tre Bicchieri del Gambero Rosso, and a special Metodo Classico Rosé, which achieved the highest recognition 12 months ago. We are in the town of Cristo, 200 meters from the banks of the Secchia river: here, starting with the 1987 harvest, the winemaker Sandro Cavicchioli started a revolution that soon became an icon, presenting the first version of a pure Lambrusco di Sorbara.
Vigna del Cristo, as well as Rosé del Cristo and many other new references branded Umberto Cavicchioli e F., are the concrete demonstration that Lambrusco can reach peaks of excellence, leading it to compete even with more renowned and celebrated types of wine. But let’s find out what it is.
Vigna del Cristo: Modena Lambrusco according to Cavicchioli
After the success of the Rosé del Cristo in the last edition, with its first recognition of the Tre Bicchieri from Gambero Rosso, this year it was the moment of the Lambrusco Vigna del Cristo, symbol of the winemaking excellence of the Cavicchioli wineries.
Obtained from grapes from the five-hectare vineyard of the same name in the Cristo area, within the DOC di Sorbara territory, this “historic” wine now represents the Modena tradition, expressing the essence of Lambrusco di Sorbara with its vibrant freshness and unmistakable elegance.
Cavicchioli has always focused on the enhancement of this terroir, a vineyard that boasts a very long history, located between the Secchia and Panaro rivers. The unique characteristics of the soil, combined with the favorable microclimate, give this Lambrusco an unparalleled quality that has made it famous.
Lambrusco, in fact, with its gentle bubbles and bold acidity, combined with its moderate alcohol content, has an innate and extraordinary drinkability. Likewise, its excellent quality-price ratio in no way diminishes the value and elegance that it expresses in every sip. It is a wine that speaks of Emilia, of its history, and that deserves to be discovered and appreciated in all its eclecticism especially by young people.
A pure Lambrusco di Sorbara, Vigna del Cristo was born, as mentioned, with the 1987 harvest to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary.
A wine that takes shape from the grapes coming from the five-hectare vineyard of the same name in the Cristo area. And that, after a slow fermentation in an autoclave, ages on its own yeasts for at least 120 days, following the dictates of a long Charmat method.
A wine that caused quite a stir when it debuted. It was, in fact, a different Lambrusco from what we were used to until that moment, even within the area of origin. But it was then the product that allowed us to broaden our horizons, changing the perception with its modern, unique and, at the same time, faithful to tradition traits.
Vigna del Cristo is an enveloping Sorbara, but extremely balanced in its dryness, with a flavor that marries the characteristic notes of raspberry, strawberry and cherry typical of the grape variety. A label that marked the history of Cavicchioli, but not only, just like, a few years later, the release of the Rosé del Cristo, a Metodo Classico capable of revealing the other possible face of Lambrusco, that of a sparkling wine that seeks perfection.
The Metodo Classico Revolution in Sorbara: the Rosé del Cristo
The other face of Sorbara according to Cavicchioli is that of Rosé del Cristo, a Metodo Classico that rests on the lees for 36 months. A sparkling wine that has helped to write the history of Lambrusco, revealing another face of the Emilian bubbles.
It is, in fact, a wine that has immediately conquered the most demanding palates. In Rosé del Cristo, since 2003, the year of its first appearance, an oenological challenge to a very hot year, you can find the authentic flavor of the best Emilian tradition combined with the innovation dictated by a “know-how” built over a century of bubbles. As perfectly demonstrated by the new 2022 vintage ready to make its debut.
In 2022, the production of Rosé del Cristo grapes was influenced by different weather conditions that characterized the year. The winter of 2021-2022 was relatively mild, with above-average temperatures, which led to early budding of the vines. Spring, then, saw variable weather, with some rains that helped provide the moisture needed for plant growth. However, there were also periods of drought that stressed the vines. Finally, summer 2022 was characterized by high temperatures and some dryness, which led to a reduction in production.
“High temperatures can affect the quality of the grapes, but in the case of Lambrusco di Sorbara del Cristo, the warm conditions helped concentrate the sugars without significantly changing the acidity,” explains the winery’s oenologist, Sandro Cavicchioli. “We therefore harvested by hand on September 1, 2022 in small 18 kg crates, with sunny days and cool nights, which allowed for a good harvest.”
The 2022 vintage presented challenges and opportunities for the production of Rosé del Cristo. “Although there were moments of water stress and high temperatures, the favorable conditions during the harvest helped to obtain quality grapes,” continues the winery’s oenologist. “The intrinsic characteristics and genetic heritage of Sorbara perfectly compensated for the stress generated by high temperatures, demonstrating once again the aptitude for climate change of our Sorbara grapes.”
The result is a wine that is already very balanced at first approach despite the citrus tendency, with an elegant scent of small white flowers, expressed in the first vertical reading, which paves the way for secondary hints of blueberry and raspberry and lime.
The Rosé del Cristo 2022 will arrive on the market at the beginning of 2025. “Even though it is made from Lambrusco grapes, Rosé del Cristo is a completely different wine, as it loses all the aromaticity of the vine, linked to the polyphenols in the skin,” emphasizes the winemaker of Cavicchioli. “When you give shape to the Classic Method, you work with small 18 kg crates precisely so as not to extract this part, tending instead to enhance the liquid component of the grape, the juice, which is rich in acid salts and is the longest-lived element.”
Regarding the new vintage ready to debut, the feelings are very positive. “The refermentation in the bottle occurred perfectly and the rest on the yeasts is moving towards 30 months, the optimal interval for this type of proposal,” continues the oenologist. “We are thus faced with a perfumed wine, which already shows length and finesse of a great sparkling wine, with scents that range from bread crust to the most typical characteristics of the vine, albeit subtle. Even if you don’t feel, as it should, the Sorbara in its full expressiveness, the background recalls blackberry, currant and red fruit”.
Rosé del Cristo shows just this: the excellence of a territory and the uniqueness of its fruits read from the perspective of the Metodo Classico, a typology that has never historically belonged to these areas, where however the refermentation in the bottle, through the Lambrusco Ancestrale, has always presented affinities in the phases of the production process up to a certain point of the processing. A bubble that can also challenge time, as demonstrated by some experiments in very small quantities that have shown the potential of this sparkling wine, capable of going beyond 10 years.
“But on its own yeasts, not disgorged, Rosé del Cristo could offer infinite longevity”, emphasizes the winemaker. “With evolutions that would bring it to the level of the greatest bubbles in the world”.
The revolution signed by Cavicchioli is only at its beginning, “Battito Emiliano” (“Emilian Heartbeat”, ndr) ready to conquer the hearts of a new generation of wine lovers.
