produttori di carema
Carema DOC
“I was quite frankly blown away by the wines I tasted from the Cantina Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema cooperative.”
Sleek and silky with mountain-fresh acidity, Produttori di Carema’s wines are the epitome of Nebbiolo elegance.
Produttori di Carema – shorthand for Cantina Dei Produttori di Nebbiolo di Carema – is a group of Nebbiolo artisans on a heroic small-scale. Their wines are ethereal with heady aromatics (look for wild herbs, orange peel and fennel), brisk acidity and a haunting orange-tinged colour. If your Nebbiolo reference is Barolo, then these are to be understood differently, with a focus on levity, prettiness and fine acid for structure. They are a very different face of the grape variety and testament to Nebbiolo’s magic. Their annual limited release is one of our favourites and the wines are showing the Carema hallmarks of perfume and elegance. They are the perfect accompaniment to the transition from autumn to winter and amongst the most restaurant and wine bar friendly reds in the market.
Carema is a tiny, incredibly special appellation found on the border of Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta. It is home to a unique bio-type of Nebbiolo called Picotendro (Picotener) which is planted across 20 hectares of UNESCO listed vineyard architecture of terraces, stone pillars (pilun) and wooden pergolas. Visiting Carema, both in person, and through drinking their wines, is a pilgrimage that every Nebbiolo-lover should make.
Although it has been *mostly* positive to see new projects/interpretations from outsiders, Produttori di Carema is the heart and soul of Carema. It is a winery made up by the locals – the generations of growers and the townspeople united by a desire to protect their vinous and architectural heritage. For very few is wine a full-time job. They tend the terraces and painstakingly rebuild granite pillar systems that hold their precious vines up towards the sun. It’s back breaking work. Support this tiny commune and its heroic growers, they make some of the most beautiful Nebbiolo wines of all.
Classico & riserva
Produttori di Carema ‘Classico’ Carema DOC Nebbiolo
Carema Classico has one of the most beautiful colors in all of the world in wine – orange tinged garnet that is unmistakeably the work of Produttori di Carema and their bio-type of Nebbiolo called Picotener. The nose is fragrant and fresh, with ripe strawberry, blueberry, dried roses, potpourri, clove, chalk, and nutmeg. Overall, it is a lighter, more mineral driven expression of Nebbiolo than the Langhe examples that you’re probably used to and the ideal relacement for Pinot Noir at table.
Produttori di Carema ‘Riserva’ Carema DOC Nebbiolo
Produttori's Riserva wine is a selection of the best Classico barrels aged for a 3rd year. It is the Classico dialed up on all fronts. With exquisite length and tension, it has a deeper rush of fruit, thrilling acidity and pronounced complexity with details like mountain herbs, sophisticated minerals and rose petal. This is a must-have Nebbiolo at its most refined and elegant.
recent reviews
“The Produttori di Carema cooperative has been on a tear in recent vintages. These traditionally crafted mountain wines offer so much Nebbiolo character.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
CAREMA CLASSICO
"The 2016 Carema Classico is a wine of unreal beauty. Orange peel, spice, star anise, sweet pipe tobacco, rose petal, mint and Alpine herbs are some of the many aromas that lift from the glass. Translucent and gracious, with tons of character, the 2016 is all class. Readers who want to understand what Nebbiolo in Carema is all about will want to check out the 2016. It is a stunning, hauntingly beautiful wine. The 2016 spent two years in neutral oak casks. 93 points” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
CAREMA RISERVA
"The 2016 Carema Riserva is another knock-out effort from the Produttori di Carema, the local cooperative that has really been on fire these last few vintages. Open-knit and inviting, but with all the complexity that is so typical of the appellation, the 2016 is superb. Crushed flowers, mint, sweet tobacco, cedar and licorice are all woven together in a super-expressive Carema that offers tons of complexity in a relatively accessible style for a young wine from the appellation. The Riserva is a selection of the best casks in the cellar, with the wine aged for an added year in cask, so three years’ in neutral oak in total. That extra year in oak vis-à-vis the Classico does take with it some of the fruit while emphasizing more savory and mineral qualities. Power and finesse come together so well in this textbook Carema. 95 points.”
- Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“Bright, pale garnet colour. Scent of rose hip tea, caraway seeds, fennel and alpine herbs. Pretty in the palate but authoritative, shaped with ultra slender, fine tannins that build and build through its exceptionally long finish and give the wine freshness and levity. So pure feeling, such good flavour and detail, exceptional drinking all up and generally just a darn impressive red wine. 96 points.” - Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
“The 2018 Carema Riserva is classic wine from the appellation and this cooperative. Bright, aromatic and savory, the 2018 is a weightless beauty. Crushed red berry fruit, dried herbs, mint, orange peel, chalk and white pepper all run through this taut, finely sculpted Carema.
93 points.” - Antonio Galloni, Vinous
FURTHER READING
https://polanerselections.com/producers/produttori-di-carema/
https://wordonthegrapevine.co.uk/carema-piedmont-nebbiolo/
https://vinous.com/articles/nebbiolo-shines-in-alto-piemonte-carema-valtellina-jun-2023
https://www.decanter.com/learn/what-is-carema-ask-decanter-475667/
