2016 Carema, Riserva, Cantina Produttori Nebbiolo di Carema, Piedmont, Italy

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 liquorice 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 savoury and mineral qualities. Power and finesse come together so well in this textbook Carema. Drink now to 2031

Antonio Galloni, vinous.com (Sep 2020)