Produttori di Nebbiolo di Carema
Carema Riserva
Appearance:
Pale garnet with orange edge.
Nose:
Medium intensity nose of tobacco, bittersweet chocolate, hibiscus iced tea, coffee vapor, raspberry, pomegranate, and licorice root.
Taste:
Richer than the Carema Classico, and with an added oak element. Finish has cherry, cedar, and bitter Seville orange.
Pairing:
Very versatile wine. Pairs with everything, but is exceptional with roasts, game, red meat, red tomato sauces, mature cheeses, nuts, and dried fruit at the end of the meal.
Why We Love This Wine
This Carema Riserva is the big brother of Carema DOC. As to be expected, it's a bigger, still, dry red wine with darker fruit. It also has the added elements of earth and oak, in the form of tobacco, bittersweet chocolate, coffee and tea. A more complex nose leads to a weightier wine, but it still has the same balance as the Carema DOC. Definitely less tannin and body than a Barolo. It tastes like a cool climate wine.
These wines evolve slowly and age forever, especially the Riserva. I've had fantastic Riservas back to the 1960's that are still drinking beautifully, as well as the Carema DOC (black label) back to the mid 1990's. Both wines are leaner, more elegant and more mineral driven. We're talking 100% Nebbiolo planted on 500 year old rock terraces basking in the sun - what more could you want!
Carema Riserva is a still, dry red wine that glows in the glass with its beautiful pale garnet color with an orange edge. It starts with a medium intensity nose of tobacco, bittersweet chocolate, hibiscus iced tea, coffee vapor, raspberry, pomegranate, and licorice. In the mouth, it is richer than the non-reserve Carema, with an added oak element. The finish suggests cherry and bitter Seville orange.
VINEYARD
Grape Varieties
WINERY
Fermentation
Aging
Alcohol
AT HOME
Serving Temperature
Cellaring
Designation
Aspect
Type
Soil
100% Nebbiolo
Still, dry red wine
Morainic gravel over granite rock
Steep terraced hillside
Fermented in steel
12 days of maceration
3 years, with 18months in large oak or chestnut barrels
13.5%
61°F (16°C)
Up to 30 years
Carema Riserva
2017
Critics Review
Dried cherry, savory and earth-driven aromas with tar and crushed stone open this wine. Notes of balsam, worn leather and spice add complexity. The mouthwatering acidity pops with crushed red berries giving way to savory notes. The wine is classically structured and nuanced with elegant tannins. Drink now–2035.
— Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast
About the Winery
The Cantina dei Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema winery was founded in 1960 by a group of ten resident growers in the district, and has developed into the most qualified operation for the production and sale of Carema wine. The company is a cooperative of 45 members, with an average age of fifty-five years. They are all part-time producers, with the average land holding at under an acre. Their aim is to preserve and show the link between this unique landscape and the wine it produces.
Images Courtesy of Produttori di Nebbiolo di Carema