Ferrando is most famous for rescuing the crumbling terraces of Carema from falling down the slope and into a forgotten fold of European wine history. His towering, ephemeral and ageless Nebbiolos were the first wines imported by legendary wine importer Neil Rosenthal, and if that’s all Luigi Ferrando made, it would be enough. But it’s not, and we are overjoyed to present Luigi’s “baby Carema.” The rolling alpine foothills of the Canavese region are perfect for Nebbiolo, offering a less serious, less daunting structure for this grape. In Piedmont’s excellent 2020 vintage, the region’s strengths are on display. A wine that tends to be aromatic, fresh, and fruity was even more so this time. Aromas of strawberry, blood orange, and licorice come accented with touches of cedar incense, green olives and clay dust. The palate shows the precision and lift of the best Alto Piemonte reds, with velvety tannins and fresh notes of cherry, cranberry, strawberry, oregano, and rosemary with arresting touches of bacon fat, shiitake mushroom, and black vinegar. It is a wonder that there’s so much intensity in a wine so delicately put together, and so much complexity so seemingly simple. Go with the classics on this one: mushroom pasta, pork loin, or Neapolitan style pizza.