Compared to the Covalli Barolo beside it at the table, this wine from Carema offers a different face of Piedmont Nebbiolo. It is from the mountainous cliffs north of Barolo where the weather is cooler, the soil is different and the tannins are friendly at an earlier age. It is also 20 years old compared to 12 for the Barolo.
Lighter color, also with orangeish tones. Sips within the first two hours after opening showed peppery tannins. By mealtime, though, the wine was displaying all of the glories of an upper Piedmont Nebbiolo. Wild cherries, bright and fresh. Also some cranberries, sweet and savory herbs and minerals galore. Flavors that dart in and out, on and off the tongue. Incredible wine!
I paid $40.25 for this wine at auction 20 years ago, and I was well rewarded not only for paying the price but also for exercising due patience.
Donna and I spent several days in Carema in October, 2019. It is a small village facing a huge rock face of mountain. Vines grow directly out of the rock nearly everywhere you look and are harvested, by hand of course, on tiny rock terraces. At the time. Ferrando was the sole producer aside from the local coop known as Produttori di Carema. I spent several hours at Produttori, tasting many excellent, but less expensive, barrel samples of Nebbiolo
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