Paltrinieri Radice Lambrusco di Sorbara 2020

Up until a few years ago, this small wonderful producer in Emilia-Romagna (remember Zerbina?) had been making Lambrusco di Sorbara, that most Americans hadn’t heard of nor tried.

As you may know, there are a few Lambrusco types. A lot of you probably think of the hearty, dark colored Lambruscos, the Lambrusco di Grasparossa– but this is something different altogether.

Today’s gem comes from Paltrinieri, who many believe to be the very best producer of Lambrusco di Sorbara. It’s a lighter style than the Grasparossa– bright, floral and expressive with bright acidity, minerality and a crisp, memorable finish.

Up until a few years ago, most wine drinkers hadn’t heard of the fourth generation winemakers the Paltrinieris. But that would all change in 2018. That was the first of three years that the Paltrinieri’s Lambrusco di Sorbara was given an unheard of 95-point score from Wine Enthusiast for just a $20/btl of wine and an inclusion towards the top of their Top 100 Wines of the Year list.

The new release promises to be the best yet, seeing as it’s already the first Paltrinieri Lambrusco to have earned an Editors’ Choice designate along with its shiny 95-point score. But seeing as it earned slightly higher praise than its predecessors, it’s fair to question whether this years version will grace the Top 10 in the Wine of the Year charts.