Etichetta Bianca (White Label) Carema Nebbiolo

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2013 “Etichetta Bianca” pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with fascinating notes of ripe and desiccated fruits: black cherry, pomegranate, red flowers, roasted beef, cedar chest, alpine herbs and rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory. Ferrando’s Carema (both white and black labels) are never short on personality and always such a joy to share with others. Drink now through 2043. 

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 2011 pours a pale, hazy garnet with a transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with desiccated strawberry, oiled leather ball glove, braised beef stew, freshly pulled espresso, licorice, mint, fresh basil, eastern spices, and a mix of rocky and decomposing organic earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and savory. A wine with soul. Drink now.

First time trying old Ferrando. Showing a lot of secondary along with a core of vibrant fruit. Epic. Hope to try again someday.

The 2019 Carema Etichetta Bianca is laced with sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, mint, dried flowers, crushed rocks and Alpine herbs. This is an especially floral, savory vintage for the Etichetta Bianca, a wine that impresses with its energy, verve and class. The only thing missing here is a bit of freshness and depth. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, February 2024)

Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days. Best on Day 1 as it started to lose balance on Day 2. As such, these notes describe Day 1. The 2014 “Etichetta Bianca” pours a pale, slightly hazy garnet color with a translucent core. Medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of bright, funky red fruits: cherries, raspberries, strawberries, with red flowers, leather, mushroom and a pleasant whiff of barnyard. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish long and full of zippy, tangy fruit. This is hitting right and showing remarkable character. Drink now.

Cherry aromas give way to soy sauce, musty leather, rose, mushroom, dank earth. Nose is more mature than the palate. Palate is autumnal, transitional, the most captivating phase in the life of a Nebbiolo. Still plenty of rich fruit and tannin to hold things together.

Popped and poured; consumed over a three hour period. No formal notes. The 2015 Ferrando “Etichetta Bianca” pours a striking transparent garnet moving towards an iron oxide rim. It almost looks advanced…but Nebbiolo has a tendency to do that. On the nose, a lovely mix of red and black fruits, both ripe and desiccated. There is also tar, dried roses and leather and dried spices. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with significant structure. Confirming the notes on the nose. The warmth of 2015 shines through with the ripeness of of the fruits nearly coming across a bit stewed (but not overblown). It’s complex and already starting to show some secondary characteristics. Drink now through 2035.

Popped and poured. The 2018 Ferrando Carema pours a beautiful, luminous, transparent ruby color that displays a slightly brown cast around the edge. Medium (+?) viscosity. Cherries bruised forest strawberries, pink roses, tar, crushed granite, Alpine herbs, and a kiss of spices. Medium+ tannin, medium+ acid. Finish is very long and super satisfying. A tremendously elegant wine. So much class. Best after about 45 minutes of air in the glass and continued to build until the last sip which was a few hours later. I really enjoy these wines. Too bad the prices are nearly 2x what they were 5 years ago.

Holy guacamole this is good! So pure and fresh. Alpine like! Herbs and bright red fruit. Why did I open this so young? Holy crap

Barnyard notes along with some poached tart red fruits and chestnut. Red clay, rock candy, dried savory. Good development.