Cantina Togliana Carema Riserva 2020

The Wine

A mineral driven, super elegant Nebbiolo offering complex aromas of pomegranate, citrus peel, dark berries and notes of mountain herbs and tobacco. Super fine tannins, for a traditionally styled Carema. Though this Nebbiolo shows a very different style from those of Barolo and Barbaresco, it should be considered in the same breath.

100% Nebbiolo from Togliana’s oldest vines. Native yeast fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks, with gentle pump overs and relatively short maceration (just 15 days - note the lighter color) followed by 40 days of submerged cap - a reductive (O2 free) environment that makes the wine smell a little off at first but preserves the wine for years without additions!)

Aged in medium-sized French oak casks (400L) for 18 months, plus in stainless steel for 2 months before release. 800 bottles made. A modest 13.5% ABV

Pairings: This wine sings with the classic "Vitello tonnato", but few of us are going to make that at home. Reaching for a few more accessible suggestions... try it with a simple porcini risotto (or mushroom polenta), pork loin roasted with fresh herbs, herb-encrusted rack of lamb or duck confit with a red-berry glaze (cherry, pomegranate or cranberry), or a charred radicchio salad with balsamic glaze and pistachios. Ideal cheeses include Comte, Gruyere or Fontina, firm sheep's milk cheeses, and washed rind cheeses as well!

The Winery

Carema is a small region nestled into the foothills of the Alps, just north of Torino on the border of Piemonte and Val d’Aosta. The region stands out because of its strikingly unique vineyards, painstakingly carved into the mountain slopes. Constructed by the Romans, the vineyards are supported by dry (no mortar!) stone walls. Originally, these terraces were designed for strategic purposes to protect the valley from invaders., but today they support the region's vines. Reaching up from each level of the terrace, the vines grow up onto sturdy pergolas (topia) made from granite and wood.

In Carema, the soils are primarily sandy, with a high content of gneiss rocks of glacial origin. Combined with the peculiar alpine weather and high altitude, this allows for mineral-driven Nebbiolos of unprecedented balance and aromatic detail.

Less than 20 hectares (50 acres) of vineyards are currently farmed in what is considered one of the smallest and most heroic appellations in Italy. Despite wine lover's current infatuation with chillable reds, Carema can't simply plant more vines - there is no horizontal space left!

Togliana is a tiny winery, located in the heart of Carema, owned and run by Achille Milanesio )photos), whose family has cultivated grapes for their nursery business for generations. The Milanesio family owns several small parcels scattered around the Carema appellation, all planted with a massal selection of the local Nebbiolo clone, called Picotendro by the locals.

For the Milanesio family, producing Carema wasn't initially viewed as a viable commercial venture, in fact Achille’s father primarily produced wines for his personal consumption, but in recent years Achille joined a handful of new winegrowers in what is nothing less than a rebirth for an historical, and yet almost forgotten, appellation.

Their cellar, located in a farmhouse dating back to 1530, features a single vaulted room furnished with small steel fermentation vats and a handful of barrels. Until recently, tastings were conducted on a makeshift plastic table, embodying the rustic charm and humble origins of their winemaking tradition.