When winemaker George Bursick departed Ferrari-Carano some years back I was gripped with a bout of angst. First of all, George was not only a fine winemaker, but a very decent man.
My concerns for the wines of Ferrari-Carano were another matter. They were always well-made under Bursick and impeccably balanced. In this era of bigger and riper must be better, I feared Ferrari-Carano would follow the path of so many others and go for the blockbuster style that was, and to some extent still is, in vogue.
I needn’t have worried. Ferrari-Carano today is the same reliable outpost of balance and elegance that it always was in the era of Bursick. Here at Wine Review Online I recently published a number of reviews — all positive — covering the latest wave of new releases from this prominent Dry Creek Valley winery.
The Bordeaux-style blend Tresor, the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon are superb. The same could be said for the two new Chardonnays, and the remarkable Fume Blanc. I say remarkable because the Ferrari-Carano Fume is produced in volume, but to very high standards.
The winemaking team at Ferrari-Carano — Aaron Piotter makes the reds and Sarah Quider the whites — is to be commended. Their current wines are as good as any ever made at Ferrari-Carano, if not better.
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