Chiaretto 2020: 22 top Italian rosés worth seeking out

Chiaretto is Italy’s most popular rosé style. Officially known as Chiaretto di Bardolino, approximately 10 million bottles are produced each year from local grape varieties within the Bardolino DOC, on the eastern shore of Lake Garda. Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 22 Chiaretto rosés This is substantially more than any other Italian rosé but thankfully there are plenty of thirsty customers eager to consume the locally-produced pink - Lake Garda typically receives 22 million visitors every year according to the official Lake Garda tourism website ( visitgarda.com ). But what has happened since the outbreak of the global pandemic? Have producers been forced to sit on stocks of their Chiaretto? The short answer is no - they have benefitted from an increase in direct-to-consumer sales as well as a healthy export market. [subscriber-content]'In 2020, tourism on Garda Lake fell by 60%, but the Germans and Dutch still managed to visit - less than in previous years but still in significant numbers,' said Angelo Perroti, director of the Consorzio di Tutela Chiaretto e Bardolino. 'There has been a huge rise in the off-trade channel both in Italy and abroad,' he continued, 'and we have witnessed some good export performances in the first three months, with a 21% increase thanks to higher demand from US, UK and Scandinavia markets. All this has allowed 2020 Chiaretto sales to more or less match the level of 2019. A recent preview tasting of the Chiaretto 2020 vintage demonstrated that the wines are good quality and reliably delicious. These Chiaretto di Bardolinos should be enjoyed while young with food - its low 12% alcohol makes it a perfect al fresco lunchtime rosé. What is Chiaretto? Chiaretto is the counterpart of the red Bardolino, both made from local grapes Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone; up to 20% of other native varieties is also allowed. The best examples are clean, elegant and saline, with vibrant yet subtle red fruits, citrus and stone fruits. This is achieved with short macerations of around five to eight hours and gentle pressing to minimise extraction, low-temperature fermentation to highlight freshness, and indigenous yeasts. Although they share the same grape varieties, vines destined for Chiaretto and Bardolino often occupy different sites. Vines used for Chiaretto are trained in such a way so as to preserve acidity, and are often found in flatter areas which encourage ripening, while vines for Bardolino tend to occupy exposed hillside locations for longer ripening and more complexity. Fresher Chiaretto's success has been buoyed by its new pale pink colour, ushered in with the 2014 vintage. The new-look rosé, almost Provence-pale in colour, is more than skin deep, however. Fresher and lighter than its traditional rich, oxidised style, the updated regulations modernised winemaking techniques, such as shorter maceration times, to emphasise the fruity citrus character of Corvina, the wine's main variety. Quality rising Since April 2021, Corvina is now allowed to make up a maximum of 95% of the blend, from a previous maximum of 80%. And while a decade ago there was just one organic-certified producer of Chiaretto, today over one-third of the 1,000 hectares under vine are farmed organically. These changes are intended to see the quality of Bardolino's rosés rise even further in the coming years. Read more about Chiaretto’s new style: The Bardolino makeover plus 12 of the best worth seeking out Light summer reds and rosés from the shores of Lake Garda: Bardolino and Chiaretto [breakout] Chiaretto di Bardolino: Factbox Producers : 100 Growers : 800 Number of bottles sold in 2020 : 9.5 million Vineyard area : 1,000 hectares Grapes : Corvina (min 40%, max 95%), Rondinella (min 5%, max 40%), Corvinone (max 20%). Maximum of 20% of other native varieties allowed. [/breakout] [breakout] Which vintage should I buy? Generally, the most recent vintage is best, as Chiaretto these days is all about freshness. However, of 50 new releases I tasted, three were from the 2019 and 2018 vintages, demonstrating that some examples can age in the short term and develop some complexity. 2020 A regular vintage in terms of temperature and rainfall, with no extremes. 2019 Warmer and drier than 2020, with lower production. 2018 After the hot, dry 2017 vintage, many drought-affected vines in the appellation were replanted, which had a knock-on effect for the 2018 season. [/breakout] [/subscriber-content] Top Chiaretto 2020 wines: [wine-collection] You may also like: Best rosé wines: 20 under £20 to try today Tasting Prosecco rosé: 16 to try Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: Italy’s serious rosé

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Chiaretto 2020: 22 top Italian rosés worth seeking out

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 22 Chiaretto rosés

Top Chiaretto 2020 wines:

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Best rosé wines: 20 under £20 to try today

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Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo: Italy’s serious rosé

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