Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
2010 Ferrando Carema
Etichetta Bianca
"My Answer Is: Carema"
There's a huge disconnect between the size of Carema and its outsized fan club.
For years, Ferrando's Carema White Label has sold out before it hit the shelf.
Since the 2009 vintage, things have gotten much worse. Ferrando is currently replanting their vineyards and the quantities available have fallen precipitously and naturally prices have jumped a bit.
|
|
In 2010, the low yielding vintage made things even worse. It's hard to witness this. Ferrando's Cerema has been a pillar of Crush from the start.
Today, we're offering Ferrando's 2010 Carema for $55.95 per bottle.
Regardless, it's impossible not to be excited about whatever we can score. Carema is a special place, and Ferrando captures what makes it special perfectly.
This is especially so in the 2010 vintage. Throughout Piedmont, 2010 is a stunning vintage that possesses a finely calibrated balance, utterly clear expression and overall completeness. It is by all accounts a special vintage.
Ferrando's Carema is Nebbiolo at its purest, its most energetic, and its most aromatic. At high altitudes, in the shadows of Mt. Blanc, on soil that's pretty much eroded rock, the grape assumes a level of finesse that's gorgeous and fascinatingly singular.
Of course, credit has to be given to Neal Rosenthal, Ferrando's importer, for recognizing the brilliance of the wine and singing its praises in the first place. Rosenthal is not shy about his love of Ferrando's Carema. "When I am asked which wine would I choose were I to be restricted to a single one, my answer is: Carema," he writes. And this is coming from a person with Fourrier's Griotte at his fingertips! The reason for Rosenthal's love is simple: Carema is alpine Nebbiolo of breathtaking grace.
Each smell and taste seems to reveal something new - there’s cinnamon-tinged cherry fruit, crushed rock, pomegranate, roses and hints of smoke. All of this is wrapped around silken tannins, an energetic streak of acidity and a surprising flavor impact.
Ferrando's Carema ages on its balance and overall harmony. Nebbiolo ages long and gracefully, and there are many tales of outstanding bottles of Ferrando White Label at 15 and even 20+ years old. Rosenthal speaks of a 1964 Black Label that hit its apogee in 1998 - at 34 years of age.
As I mentioned earlier, there's just not much of the 2010 Carema. We're sneaking this offer on a Saturday so it doesn't attract that much attention. Still, we know Ferrando's Carema people will come out in full force. Let us know how many bottles you'd like and we'll do our best.
To order, email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits