LA BATTAGLIOLA Lambrusco '24

LA BATTAGLIOLA Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro '24 (a.k.a. their flagship “Dosage 15”) is a vibrant, dry, and seriously refreshing sparkling red from Alberto Salvadori and family at La Battagliola in Piumazzo, just south of Modena in the heart of Emilia-Romagna’s Lambrusco Grasparossa zone.

Alberto took over the family estate in 1999 and went all-in on the indigenous Lambrusco Grasparossa grape, planting on gravel-rich clay-loam soils that give the wine its signature structure and mineral edge. Today the 27-hectare property is farmed sustainably, with the whole family (including kids Beatrice and Tommaso) involved. The 2024 is 100 % Grasparossa, hand-harvested, cooled briefly, then fermented with native yeasts. It gets its lively sparkle via the Charmat method in stainless-steel pressure tanks—no oak, no nonsense—and finishes with a modest 15 g/L residual sugar, making it one of the drier, more serious expressions around.

It pours a vivid, intense ruby-purple with fine, persistent bubbles that dance energetically in the glass. The nose is fragrant and classic: ripe blackberry, dark cherry, raspberry, crushed violets, and a whisper of earthy spice. On the palate it’s juicy and snappy, with bright acidity, a gentle but noticeable tannic grip that gives it real backbone, and a clean, zesty finish that begs for another sip. Full-flavored yet light on its feet, zero heaviness, maximum drinkability.