Corte Gardoni, Bardolino Superiore DOCG (Veneto, Italy) 2018

 To be frank, Bardolino Superiore DOCG evokes a complicated reaction in me.  It was born from Bardolino DOC in 2001 as a “super-Bardolino,” an effort to gain respectability — and international recognition — for the modest but charming wines of the Bardolino zone on the shores of Lake Garda.  Producers of this wine beefed up their use of the Corvina grape (Valpolicella’s most heavyweight grape, and traditionally used in Bardolino as well) and began adding small amounts of other grapes not traditional in the region.  Super-sizing a modest wine might improve its technical quality and reputation, but stylistically it fails to ring true to me.  This particular Bardolino Superiore DOCG is based on 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 10% Sangiovese.  It cannot be faulted for being huge — it’s only 12.5 percent abv, and medium-plus bodied — and its aromas and flavors are true to type, suggesting sour red cherry, other red fruits, herbal notes, and cooking spices.  I do find a fairly strong tannin presence, though.  That tannin is firm and slightly astringent, and it cuts the finish short.  The lovely aromas and flavors of Bardolino are trapped in an overly dominant structure.  Where will they be in a few years when the tannins resolve?