Bright cherry-red with enough bubbles to form a light head.
Smell
This is a simple, yet deliciously berry-fruity wine. Lots of confected fruit, strawberries, raspberries & cranberries.
Palate
In the realm of table wines, this is quite sweet, however it's not in the league of dessert wines. At only 8% abv, about one third of the natural grape sugar would still be present.
Sweetness aside, there is some acid to balance the wine & plenty of spritz to keep it refreshing. The dominant flavours are all red berries, however there's a bit of sour cherry lingering at the back, which is less noticeable straight from the fridge. It would be great to know more about the "blend of Italian aromatic red grapes" that goes into this wine.
With low alcohol & not much body, this is the wine equivalent of Solo - "Light on the fizz, so you can slam it down fast". Perfect for celebrating the Spring Racing Carnival & the arrival of Summer.
Tale
Riccadonna has been part of the Campari Group since 2003, however it was founded in 1921 by Ottavio Riccadonna in the North-West Italian town of Canelli. Canelli lies half way between Milan & Nice (France), in the province of Asti. Asti itself lies at the heart of Piemonte/Piedmont, which is possibly Italy's greatest wine region thanks to its intense & long-lived Nebbiolos.
The wines of Riccadonna are at the opposite end of the wine spectrum from their famous Nebbiolo neighbours, as most of the Riccadonna range are light, fizzy & sweet. Unfortunately the brand is in the midst of changing its look from the distinctive skinny neck & fat bottom, to a more Champenois look (both bottles shown below). This may also be why I was able to pick up a few bottles of the old shape from the $5 bargain bin. At that price, it's definitely gets 5☆ for value!
I previously reviewed the Riccadonna Asti, which ticks most of the same stylistic boxes as the Ruby.
Price: $13
Quality: ☆☆☆☆
Value: ☆☆☆☆
www.danmurphys.com.au/product/DM_906044
www.camparigroup.com/en/brands/sparkling-wines/riccadonna
