Carlevana Winery

The story

Moldova's First Ice Wine

Carlevana identifies itself as Moldova's first Ice Wine producer. The winery made the wine using the classical production method. Ice Wine uses grapes harvested and pressed while frozen, so the grape juice begins more concentrated before fermentation. Freezing leaves water as ice while dissolved sugars and acids remain in the pressed juice, changing its concentration before fermentation. Carlevana made it within the integrated complex in Merenii Noi, where the process runs from vineyard care through bottling and preparation for sale.

Moldova's First Ice Wine

Carlevana identifies itself as Moldova's first Ice Wine producer. The winery made the wine using the classical production method. Ice Wine uses grapes harvested and pressed while frozen, so the grape juice begins more concentrated before fermentation. Freezing leaves water as ice while dissolved sugars and acids remain in the pressed juice, changing its concentration before fermentation. Carlevana made it within the integrated complex in Merenii Noi, where the process runs from vineyard care through bottling and preparation for sale.

From the atlas

Carlevana Winery

Carlevana Winery in Merenii Noi, central Moldova, runs an integrated winemaking complex and makes Raritet Rara Neagra from the Rara Neagra grape.

At A Glance

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.

Place

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.

Soil And Site

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.

Story

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.

In 1999, Carlevana's specialists invited Stratan Constantin and Curdov Stepan to launch an elite wine programme. The project put company specialists and specially invited winemakers together to produce elite wines.

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

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.

In The Glass

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.

The 2020 brings cherry, blackberry, oak, rope smoke and tobacco on the nose. It is rich and creamy on the palate, with almond, soft tannins, high acidity and a long finish. The 2023 shows forest red fruit and blackcurrant, followed by a fruity finish with light cinnamon, balanced tannins and moderate astringency.

A Bottle To Understand It

Open with Raritet Rara Neagra 2024. The wine is made from Rara Neagra as a single variety, and this bottle carries 13.5% alcohol. The blended whites and red blends can follow, so the composition shifts from one grape to several across the range.

Anecdote

Carlevana identifies itself as Moldova's first Ice Wine producer. The winery made the wine using the classical production method. Ice Wine uses grapes harvested and pressed while frozen, so the grape juice begins more concentrated before fermentation. Freezing leaves water as ice while dissolved sugars and acids remain in the pressed juice, changing its concentration before fermentation. Carlevana made it within the integrated complex in Merenii Noi, where the process runs from vineyard care through bottling and preparation for sale.

Final Word

Carlevana is based in Merenii Noi, works across separate vineyard holdings, and carries wine through an integrated bottling operation. The range keeps single variety wines and blends side by side.

Sources

1. https://carlevana.md/en/about-us/ 2. https://carlevana.md/en/our-story/ 3. https://www.systembolaget.se/produkt/vin/9240101/ 4. https://carlevana.md/vinurile-noastre/vinuri-raritet/rara-neagra/ 5. https://carlevana.md/en/wines/raritet-wines/ 6. https://wine.md/carlevana-raritet-rara-neagra-2013-3190 7. https://winestatistics.com/2020/10/20/carlevana-raritet-rara-neagra-2018/ 8. https://www.vinhoscollection.com.br/carlevana-raritet-rara-neagra-igp