2023 La Fraghe Bardolino DOCG, Veneto, Italy

Corvina, Rondinella The Bardolino growing area is between the base of Lake Garda and the hills where Valpolicella is grown, not far from Verona in North-East Italy. Matilde Poggi's winery is outside of the town of Affi. Her Bardolino contains more Corvina than normal, 80%, the remaining 20% being Rondinella (both varieties are indigenous). Matilde answers the question, "What is wine for?" "I think most wine exists to make food taste good; we've sort of forgotten this in the last few years, with the blockbuster era of dark, concentrated, 'collectible' red wines." Bardolino is the opposite, a wine for drinking with food, and Matilde Poggi at Le Fraghe makes a very good one. Silky texture, juicy bramble red cherry and blueberry with nuanced cinnamon and black pepper. Lovely balance between a judicious acidity and full, savory flavours, characteristic of wines of this area.