Carafoli Nichhia Lambrusco di Modena NV

Profile & Story

Nicchia is a T. Edward Wines house label vinified in Modena, Emilia-Romagna, with "Mr Carafoli" credited as winemaker on the importer's tech data; the bottle carries the Famiglia Carafoli mark. Blend of Salamino, Marani and Grasparossa from 23 hectares planted in 1990 on alluvial soil. Vinification is a brief cold maceration followed by the Charmat method. Residual sugar 43 g/L, 8.9% ABV, 85 mg/L total SO2. Background on the house (per US retail copy sourced from the importer): Cantina Fratelli Carafoli was founded in Ravarino, a small village in the province of Modena, by Mauro Carafoli in 1919; a short distance from the town of Sorbara, Carafoli has specialised in Lambrusco di Sorbara and Lambrusco di Modena, and bought 20 hectares in Sorbara in 1965 on a thin strip of loose, permeable, well-drained land between the Secchia and Panaro rivers. The cuvee is named for Virginia Oldoini, nicknamed "Nicchia", the late-19th-century Countess of Castiglione, whose portrait is on the label.