Why it matters
The producer
The work begins with tending the vines and ends with filled bottles. Based in Merenii Noi, Carlevana Winery brings vineyard care, wine production, bottling and preparation for sale into one integrated complex. It covers about 151 hectares of vines, and the full chain belongs to one company.
Carlevana began in 1959 as part of Moldvinprom, Moldova's post war state wine system. After privatization in 1996, the enterprise became an open joint stock company and installed an Italian line for bottling grape wines.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Merenii Noi sits in central Moldova, about 25 kilometres from Chișinău. The vineyards are divided between the area near Mereni and the village of Cretoaia, while the winery remains in the home village. Those holdings belong to the same integrated operation, which handles the wine through bottling.
Carlevana's vineyards sit at elevations of 70 to 100 metres on Chernoziom, a fertile black soil, with 3,000 vines planted per hectare. The grapes are hand picked for quality, and the yield is 8 to 10 tonnes per hectare. Hand harvesting allows quality selection at the point of picking.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The average vine age is 14 to 15 years. Raritet Rara Neagra is aged for 12 months. Ageing allows the wine to soften and develop after fermentation.
Wines to know
The range in view
The Raritet range is organized by grape composition. Its whites are blends, while the reds include both single variety wines and blends. A blend combines several grape varieties in one bottle; a single variety wine uses one grape variety. Raritet Rara Neagra is the named bottle in the red range.
Raritet Rara Neagra changes across the 2018, 2020 and 2023 vintages. The 2018 is light in body, lean and crisp, with prominent acidity and a warming alcoholic touch. Its palate is fruity and savoury, with underripe red fruit and earthy dusty notes, ending with a slightly bitter finish.