2020 Chiussuma, Carema DOC, Alto Piemonte, Italy.
Still flying under the radar, the new on the scene, Chiussuma winery that is based in the Carema and Caluso wine regions in Alto Piemonte, north of Torino, bordering the Val d’Aosta, specializes in Nebbiolo and this 2020 Carema DOC is elegant, evocative and beautifully detailed version which delivers lovely delicacy, purity and incredible length. This ruby/brick hued wine highlights why this remote area, lesser known than the famed Barolo and Barbaresco, is capturing the hearts of Nebbiolo fans, it shows off Burgundy like class, with fine rose petal aromatics, silky texture and mineral tones. The medium bodied palate delivers charming Nebbiolo red fruits, including brandied cherry, damson plum, currant and blood orange, along with all spice, crushed stone, wild mushroom, light cedar and anise accents. Still vibrant and fresh, this lighter framed Nebbiolo is developing nicely and gets better and better in the glass, this is a wine to spend an evening with and enjoy its full personality over a slow meal. Winemaker Matteo Ravera Chion says the Nebbiolo vines here are set on morainic & mica schist soils, carried up the impossibly steep slopes from the valley bottom, with the terroir benefiting from a dramatic daily temperature fluctuation, which adds complexity and distinction to the wines.
This winery, which is named after one of many nearby waterfalls, Chiusumma is located in Alto Piemonte and the Carema region, which has been produced Nebbiolo based wines for over five hundred years and a region that has seen a lot of modern times attention recently with this varietal’s most fanatic fans. Chiussuma has founded in In 2016 by the young Matteo Ravera Chion, a graduate of Torino University, who joined forces with a couple of locals including his wife Alessandra to form this label, first releasing a 2019 vintage Rosso Canavese, after which the longer aged 2016 and 2017 Caremas . These early efforts are what that caught the eye of a savvy importer and now we can get these exciting, extremely small lot and authentic wines in the States. The Carema, which was awarded its DOC back in 1967, by Ravera Chion here at Chiusumma saw a 100% de-stemmed 15 day skin maceration and fermentation, after which it was pressed to used bigger 500L Tonneaux barrels, where it matured for 18 months. Production is tiny by anyone’s standards, with this wine being a limited 100 case offering. Chiussuma also does a Caluso Erbaluce, a white wine that I am excited to try too. This vintage of Carema is only the second of Chiusumma’s wines I’ve tried and I was especially impressed by this one and recommend keeping an eye out for this one.
($60 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive