Bonarda Oltrepò Pavese Amabile (2023) - Dellafiore Roberto

The Bonarda of the Oltrepò Pavese is in fact Croatina as a single variety: a native grape rich in colour and tannin, which in its medium-sweet, lightly sparkling version takes on a wholly playful and moreish profile. The amabile versions were historically intended to accompany cured meats, savoury tarts and farmhouse snacks, often served chilled.

The appellation: Bonarda dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC

The Bonarda dell’Oltrepò Pavese DOC is an appellation devoted to one of the most representative red wines of southern Lombardy, in particular of the hillside area of the Oltrepò Pavese, in the province of Pavia. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is not based on the Piedmontese Bonarda grape (Croatina or Uva Rara), but on Croatina as a single variety, which in the Oltrepò is traditionally called precisely Bonarda. It is a wine with a marked territorial personality, usually offered in a lightly sparkling version, with generous fruit, easy drinkability and a popular soul, but it can also be made in a still, more structured version.

What to eat with Bonarda Oltrepò Pavese Amabile

Who makes it: Dellafiore Roberto

Dellafiore Roberto is an independent, artisan winery in the heart of Oltrepò Pavese, born from the vision of a grower who has chosen the most honest and least tamed way of telling the story of his own land. Roberto works passionately on a few hectares of vineyard, farmed without chemicals, and vinifies naturally, following minimal-intervention principles: spontaneous fermentations, no fining, no filtration and minimal or no sulphur additions.

The vine of Bonarda Oltrepò Pavese Amabile

Croatina

Croatina is a black grape variety native to northern Italy, grown mainly in Lombardy (above all in the Oltrepò Pavese) and in eastern Piedmont, where it is often confused with the Piedmontese Bonarda (which is in fact Uva Rara). It is a generous, rustic grape, valued for its richness of colour, its fruity profile and its ability to give lively, fresh and convivial wines, but also more structured and long-lived reds when vinified with care.

Bonarda Oltrepò Pavese Amabile: the area

Climate: Continental

Altitude: Low to mid altitude (200–500 m above sea level)

Soil: Limestone / chalk

Geographical setting: Hilly

Profile of Bonarda Oltrepò Pavese Amabile

Primary aromas: sour cherry, cherry in spirit, Blackberry, plum and Violet

Secondary aromas: Fruit sweets, cherry jam

Tasting notes: The Bonarda Amabile 2023 from Dellafiore Roberto is a convivial, fragrant wine, typical of the Lombard tradition. On the palate it is soft, round and lightly sparkling, with a sweetness balanced by just the right acidity and gentle tannins. Red fruit dominates the sip, making it ideal for rustic dishes, afternoon snacks and dry biscuits. A festive Bonarda, easy to drink and able to tell the popular soul of the Oltrepò.