Ferrari - Carano Fume Blanc

Mother’s Day found us in Las Vegas, taking Denise’s mother, Verna, to an early dinner at Spiedini Italian Ristorante.  It’s a place we have enjoyed for years in the Rampart Casino in Summerlin, out west of the strip where things are a little less crazy.

Gustav Mauler’s eatery has never disappointed me, even when it’s simple.  Grilled calamari and capellini pomodoro tasted great on this day.  I had the Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc.

A 100% varietal wine, the Sauvignon Blanc grapes were taken from the various Ferrari-Carano Sonoma County vineyards.   The wine is fermented about two-thirds in stainless steel, one-third in neutral French oak.  The wine in the barrels is aged sur lie, or with the spent yeast cells still in the wine.  This gives more weight to the finished wine and creates a fuller mouthfeel.

A greenish tint marks this white wine in the glass, and the nose is steely and nervy.   Citrus aromas dominate, with a hint of smoke wafting over the transom.   The palate is mineral-laden and also citrusy.  The flavor of lemon peel carries through the sip and into the finish.

I don’t know if there was a wine on the Spiedini list which would have gone better with my grilled calamari or my mother-in-law’s buttery clams.   Later, in the elevator, a fellow guest told me, “If it makes the mother-in-law happy, it’s worth whatever it costs!”



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