Carabas

Noble, intense and seductive

Austere, delicate and full-bodied. Luretta revisits the most classic of all Piedmontese grape varieties, adding a touch of depth to a wine that has been warming drinkers’ souls for centuries.

BARBERA, REINVENTED

From cultural icon to trusted companion on cold winter evenings, Carabas leaves no room for doubt. The windows are fogged and the hands of the clock appear to be slowing down. It’s foggy outside, but no one plans to go there. A glass is just enough to bring one’s thoughts into focus. Sharp and defined, but never predictable: it’s Carabas, a beacon in the night to rely on.

No grape variety, in the last thirty years, has been able to boast such a radical renewal of its image as Barbera. Until recently, Piedmont’s most popular grape was considered rather ordinary, unworthy of expert praise. Yet it had been hiding a character that was just waiting to be revalued all along. Luretta reinterprets Barbera by offering a wine with more depth, higher load of tannins and richer structure in comparison with its Piedmontese counterpart. A wine that is honest and straightforward, yet refined and full of character.

character

Carabas is a reflection of the Colli Piacentini's terroir. 100% Barbera with fruity aromas and intense tannins, Carabas is austere and refined on the palate. A wine that leaves no room for doubt, honest and clear from the first sip. Ideal with stewed meats.

Pairings

Stewed meat, Red meat

Grape varieties

Barbera

Locality

Body

Tannins

Cask
Large

Acidity

Elegance

Tradition

Trees fall with spectacular crashes. Planting is silent and growth invisible.

– Richard Powers, The Overstory

history

The person who first put Barbera wine on the pedestal was Giacomo Bologna of the Braida estate, whose Bricco dell’Uccellone was the first Barbera to be marketed to the world. A wine, that until then had been considered rustic and a simple table wine, was suddenly reevaluated and in a short time enjoyed international success. In its original version, the Piedmontese one, Barbera is a clear and elegant wine, with a light body. Luretta has revisited this icon of northern Italy, fermenting grapes grown on the clayey soils of the Colli Piacentini, which make the wine deeper and more structured than its Piedmontese counterpart.

The first bottle of Carabas was released in 2003 and just one year later, in 2004, it won the first prize at the International Barbera Competition in Monferrato. An important recognition for a wine which, although paying homage to the Piedmontese tradition, is produced outside its regional borders. The production went on in the following years in limited numbers, upholding the hallmarks of the territory in which it grows with its complex palate and its pleasant acidity. The most successful vintages include 2011 and 2015. The 2018 vintage is the most recent.