Founded by the Nera family (of Casa Vinicola Pietro Nera) in 1982, Caven is a mixture of new concepts with old and sometimes ancient traditions. The name “Caven” is derived from the recognition of an ancient population, known as the Camuna, who inhabited this area and left behind rock drawings and other archaeological finds.
Caven has acquired vineyards throughout the sloped Valtellina region, with an emphasis on red Nebbiolo (locally known as “Chiavennasca”) wines. It produces wines in the Valtellina Superiore and Sforzato di Valtellina DOCGs, similar to Pietro Nera, but with a commitment to use the best grapes in the vineyard, and with an aging step in small barrels, imparting more of the barrel characters and enhancing the complexity of the Valtellina wines.
The vineyards of Valtellina are planted on steep slopes on hillsides overlooking the Alps. Due to the extreme slopes, the vines can only be tended by humans, and without machine interaction.
The Valtellina Nebbiolo wines share the trademark tannic grip of their cousins slightly to the south, in the Piemonte regions of Barolo, Barbaresco, and Langhe. However, with the combination of sun exposure from the orientation and slope of the vines, and breezes that originate from the westerly Lake Como, they feature a firm acidity balanced by rugged fruit, earth, and mineral.
Also unique to Valtellina is the “Sforzato” style, where grapes are dried for several months after harvest, similar to Amarone in the Veneto. Wines made in this style are more powerful and complex, and are a special expression of Nebbiolo.
The Nera family believes in sustainable and virtuous agriculture and winemaking. It limits crop protection to non-toxic products and limits its treatments to no more than 8 per growing season, and follows the guidelines of the Lombardia rural development plan. They draw upon tried-and-true traditions of the regions, along with knowledge acquired in its own experience, to combine responsible winemaking with high quality products.
Azienda Agricola Caven Website
Products:
Al Carmine® Valtellina Superiore DOCG 2013 Inferno Riserva: the grapes grown in the “Inferno” sub zone of Valtellina get more sun exposure than the other vineyards, enhancing its fruit character. Named for a church that overlooks the Inferno vineyards, this “Riserva” style wine sees an additional aging in small and large oak barrels, mellowing its characters but adding to its complexity. Data Sheet
Giupa® Valtellina Superiore DOCG 2013 Riserva: produced from the best vineyard location in Valtellina, this limited production wine is also special as the grapes are late harvested (in November), contributing to some drying characters in the grapes. Data Sheet
Messere® Sforzato di Valtellina DOCG 2015: the Nebbiolo grapes are dried for about 3 months, and then vinified into a powerful red wine that also features the fruit characters more prominently. A page from the book of Amarone winemaking, applied to the gripping Nebbiolo grape. Data Sheet
Watch a video on the Valtellina region: