2020 Cantina della Volta - Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC Rose (750ml)

Cantina della Volta takes its name from "la volta," the historic turnaround point where riverboats once reversed course on the Naviglio di Bomporto canal, right next to the building Christian Bellei's great-grandfather constructed there in 1920. Christian and his father, Giuseppe, shared a passion for fine sparkling wine, and after repeated trips to Épernay to study Champenoise methods firsthand, they began applying the classic method to Lambrusco di Sorbara, the palest and most acidic of the region's grape strains. That work has earned the estate a reputation as one of Italy's finest Lambrusco houses, with its wines now poured at Modena's own three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana.

Grapes are hand harvested in the last week of September from vineyards around Bomporto, grown on calcareous clay flecked with chalk deposits not unlike those of Champagne itself. After gentle pressing, a portion of the sweetest must macerates briefly with the skins to draw out color, and the base wine ferments in temperature-controlled steel before resting in tank for six months. It then undergoes a second fermentation in bottle, aging on its lees for a minimum of 42 months before riddling, disgorgement, and a light dosage.

The wine pours a bright pink, with delicate aromas of bread crust, red berry, peach, and field flowers. A soft, persistent perlage carries strawberry, pomegranate, and tangerine, with a touch of ginger through a crisp finish. It's lovely with charcuterie, tortellini in brodo, or simply on its own.