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Medici Ermete Concerto Reggiano Lambrusco 2022
Nestled along the Via Emilia, a historic trade route that winds through the heart of Emilia-Romagna, the Medici family’s journey into winemaking began in 1890. Remigio Medici, a successful tavern owner, was determined to make the most of the family’s vineyards, which stretched from the Via Emilia to the foothills of the Enza valley. What started as a small winery soon became a thriving family business.
Remigio’s son, Ermete, took the reins of the business and quickly expanded it. Ermete’s sons, Valter and Giorgio, carried the torch forward and were pivotal in broadening the winery’s reach, especially through exports, thus marking the start of the family’s international presence.
By the 1970s, Lambrusco, an iconic sparkling red wine from the Emilia-Romagna region, was experiencing a boom in the United States. Alongside Chianti, Lambrusco was one of the first Italian wines to be exported abroad, gaining widespread popularity.
However, by 1988 a sudden surge in production led to an oversupply of Lambrusco, resulting in a sharp decline in quality. The market was flooded with low-priced, sweet Lambrusco, a mass-produced industrial product that tarnished the wine’s reputation. For a time, it seemed as though Lambrusco’s potential had been overshadowed by this new, inferior category.
However, the Medici family saw this as an opportunity for innovation. In that same year, the fourth generation of the Medici family—Alberto and Pierluigi Medici—joined the winery, and soon after, Alessandra Medici became involved, overseeing the company’s hospitality operations. The family decided to completely reimagine how Lambrusco should be made, focusing on quality over quantity. This led to a series of pivotal changes: the family replanted their vineyards, lowered yields by 35% through a precise pruning system (called cordon spur), and adopted a more sustainable, organic approach to viticulture.
The shift in production philosophy paid off in 1993 with the launch of the “Concerto,” a single-vineyard Lambrusco Salamino. This wine, considered a cru of Lambrusco, represented the culmination of the Medici family’s commitment to elevating the quality of the Lambrusco wine.
Medici Ermete’s success is intrinsically tied to the fertile soil and climate of Emilia-Romagna, a region known for its culinary and agricultural excellence. Beyond Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma ham, and Balsamic vinegar, the region is famous for producing Lambrusco—a native grape variety that has been cultivated here for centuries. The Lambrusco family includes several distinct varietals, each with its own unique character. Medici Ermete cultivates Lambrusco Salamino, Lambrusco Grasparossa, Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Marani, and Ancellotta, a grape closely linked to the Lambrusco family but not part of it.
Medici Ermete Concerto Reggiano Lambrusco 2022
This sparkling dry red wine is the world’s first single-vineyard vintage Lambrusco, made from 100% Lambrusco Salamino grapes grown organically in the prestigious Tenuta La Rampata vineyard on Cordone Speronato (cordon trained and spur pruned) vines in clay soil with highly limited yields.
It is dark purple in the glass, and pours with a light fizz and delicate mousse which comes from natural fermentation. The bottle is suited for sparkling wine, but seems like overkill for the amount of carbonation on offer. The flavor on the palate is quite fruit-forward, even grape-juice-like, with dominant notes of black cherry backed up by mineral and spice notes, as well as a good amount of acidity. 1,200 cases were imported. ABV is 11.5%.
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