Merlot Garda

Lamberti Merlot is best served with savoury first courses, Italian cold cuts, pasta dishes, red meats, pork, poultry casseroles, matured cheese and any dish of the Italian cuisine.

This cultivar has been cultivated in Veneto since time immemorial, but it is only in the last few years that it has received the appreciation it deserved. Selected clones that yield richer grapes and lower production per vine were introduced. Sites in the regions of Veneto and Friuli were also identified as suitable for lending increased complexity to this wine.

After the malolactic fermentation, the wine is allowed to rest and refine also through the addition of some barrique-matured wine.

Perfectly ripe grapes are harvested and fermented on the skins, with prolonged maceration for about 12–15 days and frequent pump-overs. Fermentation takes place at a controlled temperature of 26–28°C. and is then followed by 30 days of micro-oxygenation. Malolactic fermentation is then started so as to obtain wines with velvety tannins and intense colour.

Originating in 1964 at Lazise on the banks of Lake Garda the House of Lamberti was the first to propose a new modern identity for the wines of Veneto and in particular those of Verona. Typical examples are Bardolino and Valpolicella as well as Amarone. The white wines include Lugana Soave and Custoza.