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
Carema Riserva is a more robust counterpart to Carema DOC. It is a fuller-bodied red wine with darker fruit, which incorporates earthy and oaky notes 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 Catena Classico DOC. It exhibits less tannin and body than Barolo and embodies qualities typical of a cool climate wine.
These wines evolve slowly, particularly the Riserva. I have enjoyed exceptional Riservas from the 1960s that remain exquisite, alongside Carema DOC (black label) from the mid-1990s. Both wines are leaner, more elegant, and mineral-driven. These wines are produced from 100% Nebbiolo cultivated on 500-year-old sun-drenched rock terraces. What more could you want!
Carema Riserva is a still, dry red wine exhibiting a pale garnet color with an orange edge. The medium-intensity nose features tobacco, bittersweet chocolate, hibiscus iced tea, coffee vapor, raspberry, pomegranate, and licorice. On the palate, it is richer than the non-reserve Carema, with an additional oak element. The finish reveals 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
2019
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
The 2019 emerges with damson fruit character, supported by notes of violets, sage and laurel. On the palate the Riserva effect comes through in the extra intensity, the gritty texture, the depth of flavour and the complex, aromatic finish. A wine to savour. Produced in the best vintages, aged in medium-sized barrels and cellared for a minimum of 24 months prior to release.
— Richard Baudains, Decanter
About the Winery
The Cantina dei Produttori di Carema was established in 1960 by ten local growers and has become the leading producer and seller of Carema wine. Today, the cooperative consists of 45 members, who are all part time producers with average land holdings of less than one acre. Their goal is to preserve and highlight the connection between the unique landscape and the wine it yields.
Images Courtesy of Produttori di Nebbiolo di Carema