Ferrando 2020 Etichetta Nera
Ferrando 2020 Etichetta Nera
Also for comparison, here is a great review of the 2019, an outstanding vintage that the 2020 should also track close to in quality:
94 pts Vinous (Galloni)
From: Alto Piemonte: Small Is Beautiful (Feb 2024) The 2019 Carema Etichetta Nera is a bit darker and richer than the White Label as it often is. Black cherry plum leather menthol licorice and dried herbs are nicely pushed forward. Overall this is a relatively mid-weight vintage for the Black Label but it has better energy and a very long finish- By Antonio Galloni on November 2023Ferrando remains a reference point in Carema. The 2019s I tasted for this report are gorgeous. This year I have a slight preference for the Etichetta Nera over the Etichetta Bianca as the smaller barrels used for the Etichetta Nera seem to add a bit of textural richness that is a help in this cooler classically austere vintage. Although I did not taste any new releases of the estate’s entry-level offerings those wines have been especially fine over the last handful of years.
The Nera is NOT a special selection of the Bianca wine. This exceptional and rare wine (100 cases of 300 made make it to the US) is produced only in the finest vintages. It comes from a special selection of grapes harvested from several particularly well-placed parcels within the appellation (frequently from the Silanc and Siei vineyard sites).
Aged for at least three years prior to bottling, the “elevage” is done primarily in small barrels, only a small percentage of which are new.
The Nera gets all of the same TLC and is essentially made the same way as the Bianca except that it sees small barrels and a tiny portion of new French oak for the maturation of the wine before bottling.
Color: Intense garnet red, limpid and dense.
Nose: Pronounced spices and ripe red berries. Fine notes of violet, berries, and vanilla.
Palate: Enveloping, alcoholic mouthfeel, pleasant developing tannins. Well orchestrated, with a firm structure. It is at its best a few years after bottling.
Variety: Nebbiolo
name: Carema DOC Etichetta Nera.
Region: Carema (Piedmont)
Ferrando vineyards: 2,5 Ha
Soil type: glacial moraine
Harvest: by hand
Harvest time: after October 15th
Number of bottles: about 3,000
100 (of 300 total) cases produced are dedicated to the US market, augmented by a small amount of magnums.