Tenuta Carretta, the art of Nebbiolo

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Tenuta Carretta, the art of Nebbiolo

10 May 2021

Adaptable, but not manipulable. Nebbiolo is the most cultivated vine in Langhe and Roero.


It is adaptable because it knows how to adjust to the soil where it is planted, bringing out the best that the land has to offer. It is adaptable because, in the glass, it evolves according to how soil and climate change.

It is adaptable because it knows how to adjust to the soil where it is planted, bringing out the best that the land has to offer. It is adaptable because, in the glass, it evolves according to how soil and climate change. But it is far from being manipulable. Nebbiolo does not yield to the will of the grower or the winemaker, at least not that easily. It is proud, dignified and fully aware of its ability to adapt: Nebbiolo “reads” the land where it is planted and gives back what it has learned, both the good and bad.

Perhaps, this is why Nebbiolo is not an international variety: the places where it can bring out its best can be counted by hand. Piedmont is one of these: it is the cradle of Nebbiolo in the world. And if we want to classify these territories according to their prestige, Langhe and Roero undeniably stand out in terms of quality and denominations of Nebbiolo, proving to be the most suitable hills to bring this grape to the heights of its expression.

Those who grow Nebbiolo know this very well: a few hundred meters between two vineyards can give very different results. But above all, this is attested by Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero: wines that have been able to demonstrate great character despite their different individualities, such as to take them (for now the first two, but Roero is just right) on the peaks of the world wine Olympus. Three different twins that, a handful of hills away (respectively to the West, East and North of the city of Alba) revealed some the austere power, some the versatile elegance, some finally the refined persuasiveness of the Nebbiolo grape.

And where neither Barolo, nor Barbaresco, nor Roero is born, always near the city of Alba, Nebbiolo gives rise to Nebbiolo d’Alba, a younger drinking wine, rich in fruity notes. Finally, there is the Langhe Nebbiolo, whose production area includes all the Langhe, the hills on the right bank of the Tanaro river, and those of the Roero, on the left.

Although there are numerous wineries that vinify all types of Nebbiolo, it is very rare to find those with vineyards located in the different areas of origin of Nebbiolo-based wines. Tenuta Carretta is one of these. This winery in Piobesi d’Alba cultivates and vinifies Nebbiolo directly from the hills of Barolo, from those of Barbaresco, from Alba and from Roero. A vocation that is expressed in an articulated way through labels that, from the pleasant drink of a Nebbiolo d'Alba, rise in complexity to the apex of Barolo Cannubi (of which Tenuta Carretta also makes a very limited edition Riserva) passing through the Langhe Nebbiolo and the Barbaresco.

When talking about Nebbiolo-based wines, Tenuta Carretta can boast grapes from the most prestigious Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (MeGA), those highly suitable micro-areas delimited by precise boundaries: Cannubi for Barolo; Garassino for Barbaresco; Bric Paradiso for Roero.

Even the Nebbiolo d'Alba of Tenuta Carretta can boast an extraordinary peculiarity: it is a wine, in fact, that comes from a single vineyard located in the municipality of San Rocco Seno d'Elvio, the Tavoleto farm, and highlights the commitment of Tenuta Carretta to connect the Nebbiolo grape in an ever more direct way to the territories in which it is born and ripens, and of which it bears, within itself, the sign.

TENUTA CARRETTA’S NEBBIOLO-BASED WINES

Cannubi BAROLO DOCG e Cannubi BAROLO DOCG RISERVA “Franco Miroglio” | Cannubi is the most prestigious and historic “Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva” of the whole Barolo area. Thanks to the excellent exposure and the particular microclimate that surrounds the vineyards, Cannubi gives wines of great character, elegant and long-lived. Tenuta Carretta vinifies Barolo Cannubi also as a Riserva, with a minimum aging of at least 60 months, of which at least 36 in barrels and 18 in the bottle.

Cascina Ferrero BAROLO DOCG | A Barolo with a warm and full flavor, vinified according to tradition. The soft and elegant tannins endow the wine with personality, character and long persistence.

Cascina Bordino BARBARESCO RISERVA DOCG | The grapes used for Barbaresco Riserva Docg Cascina Bordino are harvested from the estate vineyards with the same name, located on the eastern side of the municipality of Treiso. These are among the best exposed plots of the whole hill, characterized by steep slopes and sands with silty grey marly inlays that make for lean and compact soil.

Garassino BARBARESCO DOCG | Garassino is a defined winegrowing area in Treiso, well-renowned for the personality and elegance of its wines. This Barbaresco is the proof: complex, harmonious and mellow.

Bric Paradiso ROERO DOCG RISERVA | Bric Paradiso is the name of the Nebbiolo vineyard that is part of the Tenuta, mentioned in documents since 1878. The wine expresses all the typical characteristics of the Roero Docg, the primary wine of the hills to the left of the Tanaro River: elegance and pleasantness.

Tavoleto NEBBIOLO D’ALBA DOC | From Podere Tavoleto in San Rocco Seno d’Elvio, in the municipality of Alba, come Nebbiolo grapes destined to give life to this structured, harmonious, velvety and elegant wine.

Podio Podium Serrae LANGHE NEBBIOLO DOC | The Podio vineyard first appeared in 1467, when Count Damiano granted his land to sharecroppers for cultivation. Half of the grapes produced were to be brought to the castle, but those coming from Podio were to be reserved for the Count (“salvo et riservato vites Podi Serrae”). The wine is elegant, harmonious, with soft tannins“Franco Miroglio” | Del Barolo, Cannubi è la menzione più storica e prestigiosa. Grazie all’ottima esposizione e al particolare microclima che avvolge i vigneti, Cannubi dona vini di grande carattere, eleganti e longevi. Tenuta Carretta vinifica il Barolo Cannubi anche nella versione Riserva, ovvero con affinamento minimo di minimo di 60 mesi, di cui almeno 36 in botte e 18 in bottiglia.

>> Book a visit and tasting directly in the cellar and discover all Tenuta Carretta's Nebbiolo wines!

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