Marzemino

The North Italian Marzemino possesses a fascinating, almost shadowy depth, which was famously sung about in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Its home lies in the alpine north and the hills along the Po Valley, where it is prized above all for its juicy acidity, dark fruit reminiscent of wild berries and violets, and a fine, deeply animating tannin structure. Marzemino rarely pushes itself loudly into the foreground, but instead lends structure and a lively tension to traditional cuvées.

How wonderfully this cool freshness works in a salmon-pink guise is demonstrated by the Marangona estate on Lake Garda, where the grape joins forces with Groppello and Sangiovese to form a salty, mineral Chiaretto. In Emilia-Romagna, on the other hand, it brings colour and spice to the profound, sparkling Rosso Frizzante from Cinque Campi, where it showcases its tart, red-berried vibrancy alongside Lambrusco and Malbo Gentile.