Inama 2022 'Piu' Carmenere, Veneto

The Wine

Carmenere from the Veneto? Yup. This wine was one of the most pleasant surprises of my recent visit to Northern Italy. Affordable and delicious, from a third generation (Giuseppe, Stefano, and now Matteo) producer who are well-travelled, curious, and passionate about great wine.

Carmenere is one of the grape varieties (along with Merlot, which plays a supporting role in this wine) the Inama's selected as the right grape for the changing climate in the Veneto. In their hands, it shows the charm of Carmenere without the green, herbaceous notes it expresses when grown in cooler areas. 

Tasting Notes - the wine has a surprisingly elegant nose of small, dark berries, cocoa and black pepper, but notably absent were the bell peppar notes often associated with Carmenere. The wine conforms to the Inama house style of freshness on the palate, with sweet spice notes supporting the fruit-driven palate, and with well-integrated tannins and an impressively long finish.

Carmenere is new to the Veneto, but it may expand if this wine is any indication - a wine of gregaroius personality that offers an attractive alternative to the region's better-known red wine, Valpolicella.

Inama was the first estate to create a Carmenere in the Colli Berici area and they even spearheaded the creation of a new DOC: the 'Colli Berici Carmenere Riserva' (see: Oratorio di San Lorenzo). This is their entry-level Carmenere, but all their vineyards also produce reserve wines, which are worth seeking out.

The Label - This label was designed by Michela Coltro, an artist from nearby San Bonifacio. Produced since 2005, the wine was the result of Inama’s Carmenere project. The idea was to design a cherub holding a cornucopia of fruit from which a cluster of red grapes comes out: Inama's Carmenere!

The Winery

Inama follows their own path in producing their wines, which tends to wag the tongues of gossip-lovers. But the Inama family is more concerned about crafting the best wine possible than what their neighbors or the industry rags might say. Sometimes, this includes flouting the conventions of the Soave region, which means they must put wine on the market that doesn't benefit from the organization's marketing power.