The Ferrandos only produce their legendary black-label Carema when the vintage allows for it, and it never comprises more than a fifth of their total production. To be labeled as “Etichetta Nera,” the wine must first be selected in the vineyard as worthy; then, it must pass muster post-malolactic-fermentation; and finally, a third verification is performed at the end of the three-year elevage. Raised entirely in a mix of used 250- and 500-liter French barrels, the 2016 is more profound and lower-pitched on the nose than its white-label counterpart, with blacker fruit and a stronger savory imprint. Its firmly gripping, lengthily tunneling finish promises decades of positive evolution.