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Back Up The Truck - 2010 Piedmont Edition
2010 Produttori di Carema Carema Riserva
In Piedmont, magic happened in 2010. Taste the wines and it's just obvious.
Over the past twelve months, it's become clear to us that there's an enormous excitement over the 2010 vintage in Piedmont. I can't remember any vintage in the past decade where the region seems to hit such a tipping point.
We haven't been immune to this either. I selected the Canonica's 2010 Barolo as my wine of year for 2014.
Carema is about an hour's drive from Barolo and amounts to its alpine cousin. Carema sits in the shadow of Mt. Blanc and totals a mere 16ha. Because of its stunningly singular expression of Nebbiolo, the appellation has achieved a renown that belies its tiny size.
In Carema, Nebbiolo becomes as fresh and fragrant as the mountains in spring when they're dotted with flowers, yet so packed with nuance that each smell and taste seems to reveal something new: Cinnamon-tinged cherry fruit, herbs, a detailed minerality and that absolutely beguiling perfume that only Nebbiolo can deliver.
In the 2010 Carema Riserva, you get all of this with an unbelievable purity. Like in Barolo, the 2010 vintage elevated the Carema Riserva to a realm of shocking beauty. There's a dream brew of terroir-saturated clarity, energy, substance and length.
The 2010 Carema Riserva is an elegant ballerina of a wine, but you shouldn't let its delicacy fool you. Caremas possess impressive aging potential. Whereas Barolos and Barbarescos rely on their tannins to age, these wines age on their acid structures and overall balance and harmony. The silky, briskness of these wines also allows them to drink young.
The growers of Carema tend to have very small holdings, often 0.5ha or even less. This is where the quality oriented coop Produttori di Carema comes in. They handle the vinification and aging, which would be difficult for the small growers. The Carema Riserva represents a painstaking selection of the very best botti, the large casks traditional to the region.
It's rare that we find wines that deliver so much at this price point. For us, it's a cause for celebration. We taste hundreds of wines a year and only a tiny fraction make the cut. The 2010 Carema Riserva is the best so far this year.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits