Bardolino Superiore DOCG: Recognition, Production, and Quality Breakdown
With decree of August 1, 2001, the Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin (DOCG) for Bardolino Superiore wines was officially recognized. The designation of special distinction awarded to our production (the first and only red wine from Veneto with DOCG status) is a source of great pride for the entire Bardolino wine sector, led since 1969 by the Consorzio di Tutela (Protection Consortium). The president in the last three terms is Count Giuseppe degli Albertini, and the enologist Giulio Liut has been the director since its inception.
Recognition and Production
The recognition celebrates the ecological originality of the Garda environment and its viticultural vocation; the agricultural work focused on the selection and choice of local grape varieties; the attention and professional rigor in the vineyard and cellar; the oenological research aimed at conserving and highlighting the inherent potential of the grapes so that it is best transferred into the wine. The result of this fortunate combination of components is an important wine, known internationally, capable of satisfying the psychophysical pleasures of consumers, due to its unique characteristics of color, aromas, and taste, enhanced by the culture and landscape of Lake Garda.
The DOCG, in fact, is the sum of a viticulture, oenology, culture, and marketing that coexist within a coherent project, coordinated by the Consorzio di Tutela. This project is based on specific concepts. To meet consumer pleasure expectations and to express the vocation of the DOCG lands, each grain of each cluster from the selected vineyards must be perfectly ripe every year, in order to produce fruity, spicy aromas with softness on the palate. The current evolution of taste indicates these as the preferred characteristics of a DOCG.
To achieve long-term balance between the weight of the grape and the leaf surface exposed to the sun, it is necessary to combine the choice of low-fertility soils, a sufficient plant density per hectare, adjusted pruning of the vines (the trellised spurred cordon system is the best), and leaving the right number of buds per vine and per hectare. Alongside the key factors in the winemaking process, regular control (beyond routine chemical analyses) through tasting is essential to understand the fine elements of the grapes, must, and wine that define the quality and originality of a DOCG.
Grapes and Production Areas
The Bardolino Superiore DOCG is obtained from grapes coming from the following varieties, in the indicated percentage:
Corvina veronese 35-65% (Corvinone is allowed up to 10%)
Rondinella 10-40%
Molinara, Rossignola, Barbera, Sangiovese, Marzemino, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, either alone or jointly up to a maximum of 20%, with a limit of 10% for any single variety.
The production area includes all or part of the territories of 16 Veronese municipalities: Bardolino, Garda, Lazise, Affi, Costermano, Cavaion, Torri del Benaco, Caprino, Rivoli Veronese, Pastrengo, Bussolengo, Sona, Sommacampagna, Castelnuovo del Garda, Peschiera del Garda, Valeggio sul Mincio.
The maximum grape production per hectare must not exceed nine tons in specialized vineyards; the maximum grape-to-wine yield must not surpass 70%; the aging period is at least one year starting from November 1 of the production year. Starting November 1, 2002, bottles with a band indicating DOCG status will be on the market; those of Superiore from the last three previous years before official recognition, which share the same premium and control characteristics formalized by the DOCG, will be sold until stocks are exhausted.
Finally, savoring the pleasure of tasting, Bardolino Superiore DOCG shows a ruby red color tending to garnet with aging; a characteristic aroma with a delicate scent; a dry, slightly bitter taste, harmonious, sometimes characterized by a light hint of wood; with a minimum alcohol content of 12% vol.
