Earlier this week, we offered Ferrando's 2016 Etichetta Bianca. Today, we return with the much more limited Etichetta Nera.
Compared to Etichetta Bianca, Etichetta Nera is richer, denser, more masculine, and intense. It’s a powerhouse wine, but with breathtaking finesse.
The Etichetta Nera is only produced in the best vintages from the best sites, usually the Silanc and Siei vineyards. In a typical year that it's produced, only 100 cases come into the country.
We have really high hopes for the 2016 Etichetta Nera. The vintage's combination of concentration and elegance will almost certainly produce a version of the wine that will age beautifully.
This is a wine known to be a serious distance runner. Neal Rosenthal, Ferrando’s importer, speaks of a 1964 Etichetta Nera that hit its apogee in 1998—at 34 years of age. It's no doubt experiences like this that led Neal Rosenthal to write: "When I am asked which wine would I choose were I to be restricted to a single one, my answer is: Carema."
For Piedmont, and especially the Alto Piedmonte, 2016 is a great vintage. Judging by the response to our Etichetta Bianca, many of you are well aware of this. I'll close by saying that I expect our small allocation of Etichetta Nera to sell out quickly.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits