Carema Classico 2019 DOC
Etichetta Nera · Produttori di Carema · Alpine Piedmont
Technical Sheet
Etichetta Nera
| Grape | 100% Nebbiolo Picotener (alpine biotype, genetically distinct from Langhe clones) |
| Appellation | Carema DOC (Municipality of Carema, Torino province) |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Avg. Vine Age | 50 years |
| Altitude | 300–650 meters |
| Slopes | 30%+ gradient |
| Soil | Morainic origin, ~80% sand, granite and schist |
| Training | Topia pergola on stone pilun pillars |
| Harvest | Manual, 20kg crates, multiple passes on steep terrain |
| Fermentation | Stainless steel and cement; 20–30 days with 12-day skin contact |
| Aging | Minimum 24 months total; 12+ months in large oak and chestnut botti (15–50 hL) |
| Botti Size | 15–50 hectoliter (entirely neutral. No oak flavor contribution) |
| Score | CellarTracker 92 pts (2019) |
| Drinking Window | 2024–2032 |
| Critical Recognition | CellarTracker 92 (2019 vintage) |
2019
Drinking Window
2024, 2032
In the Glass
Tasting Notes
Wolf Post (Piero Pardini), 2019 Vintage
Bright garnet red with light orange reflections. Evident floral notes intertwined with hints of small berries. Balsamic notes and a hint of liquorice. On the palate, very elegant and perfectly balanced with silky tannins.
Collective Character. Across Vintages
Bright ruby to garnet with orange rim, lighter than Barolo, more aromatic. Field herbs, eucalyptus, rose, forest floor, bright red fruit. Silky tannins more refined and delicate than Langhe Nebbiolo. Mouthwatering acidity, sapid and mineral on the finish. Alpine herbs and crushed stone on the close.
The Classico's character is defined by Picotener's native disposition toward the floral and the mineral rather than the tannic and the dark. This is not reduced Barolo. It is a genuinely different expression of Nebbiolo, shaped by altitude, soil, and centuries of alpine adaptation.
In the Cellar
Winemaking
The cooperative's cellar approach is deliberately unhurried and minimal. Harvest is entirely manual, workers carry 20kg crates up and down slopes exceeding 30 percent, making multiple passes as fruit reaches optimum maturity. The terrain permits nothing else.
Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and cement tanks, running 20 to 30 days with 12 days of skin contact. The extended maceration builds the structural foundation the wine needs to develop over its time in wood. There is no rush in the cellar either: a minimum of 24 months aging, with at least 12 of those spent in large oak and chestnut botti ranging from 15 to 50 hectoliters.
The botti are entirely neutral. No new oak, no toasted wood, no vanilla or coconut notes from barrel. The vessel is purely a vessel. The wine's identity comes entirely from Picotener, the Carema terroir, and the year. This is the same philosophy that governs the great traditional producers of the Langhe, applied with equal conviction in the Alps.
Classico vs. Riserva
The Classico (Etichetta Nera) and the Riserva (Etichetta Bianca) are made from the same grapes on the same terraces with the same fermentation. The distinction is made in the cellar: at 24 months, the cooperative's cellarmaster identifies the finest barrels, those showing the greatest concentration, aromatic depth, and structural integrity. Those barrels become the Riserva. The rest become the Classico. Same fruit. Same winemaking. One more year of patience separates them.
At the Table
Food Pairings
Carema's elevated acidity and silky tannin make it more versatile at the table than heavier Nebbiolo. It handles lighter proteins with ease and brings lift to anything with fat or richness.
- Roast chicken with garlic, thyme, and pan drippings
- Veal saltimbocca with prosciutto and fresh sage
- Grilled alpine trout from mountain streams. The classic local pairing
- Toma della Valle d'Aosta, soft, washed-rind alpine cheese
- Risotto with porcini or saffron
- Charcuterie: lardo di Colonnata, mountain salami, coppa
- Lighter game: quail, guinea hen, pheasant with root vegetables
BTG Notes
By the Glass
The Classico opens as one of the most compelling wine-by-the-glass pours in a serious Italian program. The story sells itself: Slow Food Presidium, stone pillar terraces, Roman-era viticulture, 50-year-old alpine vines. Contact us for allocation information.
Exclusive US Availability
Sole US importer: The Italian Connection. Not available through any other channel in America.
Why This Wine Matters
We sell this wine by telling its story, and the story does the rest. Ten men on November 30, 1960, deciding that Carema would not be allowed to disappear. Stone pillar terraces from the early 1800s. Roman roads dating to 25 BC running through the same hillside. A grape variety. Picotener Nebbiolo, found nowhere else in Italy at scale.
The Slow Food Foundation put their name on Carema in 2014 to protect it from disappearing. Italy's government added the terraces to the National Register of Historic Rural Landscapes in 2024. This wine carries genuine designation as a cultural landmark. There is no comparable Nebbiolo offer in the market. Pour it. Tell that story. Let the wine finish the conversation.
Trade Materials
English PDF Italiano PDF Espanol PDFFor the Trade
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