Carema Riserva 2019 DOC
Etichetta Bianca · Produttori di Carema · Alpine Piedmont
Technical Sheet
Etichetta Bianca
| 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 |
| Soil | Morainic origin, ~80% sand, granite and schist |
| Training | Topia pergola on stone pilun pillars |
| Fermentation | Stainless steel and cement; 20–30 days with 12-day skin contact |
| Barrel Selection | Best barrels identified from the Classico pool at 24 months; held 12 additional months |
| Total Aging | Minimum 36 months; 12+ months in large oak botti (15–50 hL) |
| Scores | Vinous 93 / Wine Enthusiast 93 (consistent across 2017, 2018, 2019 vintages) |
| Drinking Window | 2025–2035+ |
2018
2019 est.
2015
Drinking Window
2025, 2035+
In the Glass
Tasting Notes
Vinous, 2018 Vintage, 93 Points
Crushed red berry fruit, dried herbs, mint, orange peel, chalk and white pepper. A weightless beauty with refinement and elegance.
Wolf Post (Piero Pardini), 2019 Vintage
Bright garnet with orange reflections. Floral notes intertwined with hints of small berries. Balsamic notes and liquorice. Very elegant, perfectly balanced with silky tannins. Powdered chocolate and sweet spices in the finish.
Wine Enthusiast, 2017 Vintage, 93 Points
Dried cherry, savory aromas with tar and crushed stone. Balsam, worn leather, spice. Classically structured and nuanced with elegant tannins built for the long haul.
The Riserva's character extends and deepens everything present in the Classico. The additional year in large botti resolves any remaining structural edges and amplifies the aromatic complexity. The rose and dried flowers become more pronounced, the mineral salinity more persistent, the finish longer and more layered.
The Vinous note, "a weightless beauty", is the most apt description in the literature. For tasters accustomed to the density of Langhe Nebbiolo or the extraction of modern-style Barolo, Carema Riserva asks for recalibration. Its elegance is not a deficiency; it is the point.
93 Points. Consistent Across Vintages
2017: WE 93 · 2018: Vinous 93 · 2019: WE 93 est. · 2015: AG 95
The Barrel Selection
What Makes the Riserva
The Etichetta Bianca (White Label) is not made from different vineyard parcels, different growers, or a separate vinification. It begins as the Classico. At 24 months of aging, the cooperative's cellarmaster evaluates each barrel individually, tasting for concentration, aromatic depth, tannin quality, and the structural integrity to reward another year in wood.
The barrels that pass that evaluation are set aside and held for 12 additional months. Thirty-six months total. The selection process is self-correcting: in years of great quality, more barrels make the cut and Riserva production is higher. In difficult years, fewer barrels qualify and the bottling is correspondingly small. There is no quota. The cellar decides.
This approach means the Riserva is always the best that year's harvest had to offer. Not a pre-determined tier but an honest editorial selection from the cooperative's full member parcels.
Cooperative Statement
"A selection of the best barrels from those used for the Carema Classico, just aged an additional year."
| Classico aging | 24 months minimum |
| Selection point | 24 months (best barrels identified) |
| Additional aging | 12 months more |
| Riserva total | 36 months minimum |
| Wood contact | 12+ months in 15–50 hL botti |
At the Table
Food Pairings
The Riserva's additional complexity and deeper structure support more ambitious food pairings than the Classico. The silky tannin cuts through richness without overwhelming delicate preparations.
- Whole roasted lamb with alpine herbs and anchovy butter
- Duck confit or duck leg braised with dried figs and juniper
- Porcini mushroom pappardelle with truffle oil and Parmigiano
- Aged Fontina Val d'Aosta. The mountain cheese of Carema's neighboring valley
- Beef short rib braised in wine with gremolata
- Bitto stagionato, aged alpine cheese from the Valtellina
- Venison loin with juniper, root vegetable purée, and reduced game stock
BTG Notes
Premium By the Glass
The Value Case
There are two Nebbiolo wines on the planet at exceptional value that consistently score 93 points. This is one of them. For 93-point Barolo, Carema Riserva is that wine's philosophical equal from an alpine terroir that predates Barolo as a commercial category.
Why This Wine Matters
There are two Nebbiolo wines on this planet at at exceptional value that consistently score 93 points. This is one of them.
The Etichetta Bianca. The White Label, the Riserva, is the barrel selection from the Produttori di Carema cooperative. This is what survived the cellarmaster's edit at 24 months: the barrels with the greatest concentration, the most persistent aromatics, the structural integrity to reward another year in wood. Thirty-six months total aging. Stone pillar terraces. Vines averaging 50 years old. A grape variety. Picotener Nebbiolo, found nowhere else in Italy.
Vinous called it "a weightless beauty with refinement and elegance." That is exactly right. Delicate does not mean simple. It means the kind of refinement that only comes from a cooler, slower growing season at genuine altitude. This is the alpine expression of Italy's greatest red grape. Pour it. Let that phrase do the work: a weightless beauty.
Trade Materials
English PDF Italiano PDF Espanol PDFFor the Trade
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