Ferrari Carano Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Ferrari-Carano Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 is an Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon bottled at 14.5% ABV in a standard 750ml format. This vintage earned 90 points from Wine Spectator and a 94-point average on CellarTracker, reflecting a warm, generous Sonoma County growing season that produced wines of notable concentration and structure.

Quick Facts: ABV: 14.5%  |  Origin: Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California  |  Vintage: 2012  |  Winery: Ferrari-Carano

Production & Heritage

Ferrari-Carano was founded in 1985 by Don and Rhonda Carano in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley, a region prized for its warm days, cool nights, and well-drained benchland and mountain soils. The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon draws from mountain-grown fruit within Alexander Valley, contributing density and tannic backbone that valley-floor grapes alone rarely achieve. The wine spent 16 months aging in French oak barrels, integrating toast and spice without overwhelming the varietal character of the fruit.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with ripe blackberry and cassis, building into layers of toasty cedar, licorice, and camphor. Underneath, notes of leather, sweet baking spice, and a faint hint of mint add complexity.

Taste: The entry is smooth and richly textured, with dense dark berry and smoked currant flavors anchoring the mid-palate. Mocha and blackberry fill out generously, while earth, tobacco, and forest floor add savory depth as the wine develops across the palate. A taut, concentrated core keeps the richness focused rather than heavy.

Finish: The finish is long and velvety, with lingering vanilla bean, caramel, and cedar gradually yielding to fine-grained tannins. A measure of elegance and finesse emerges here, balancing the wine's overall power.

How to Drink Ferrari-Carano Cabernet

This 2012 drinks best at cellar temperature, around 60–65°F, and benefits from 30 minutes of decanting to open its layered aromatics. It is primarily a food wine and a sipping wine rather than a cocktail ingredient. Pair it with grilled ribeye steak, where the wine's tannins cut through fat; braised short ribs, whose richness mirrors the wine's density; or a charcuterie board featuring aged hard cheeses and cured meats that echo its savory, earthy notes.

Best For

• Serving alongside a steak dinner or holiday roast
• Gifting a Sonoma County wine enthusiast or Cabernet collector
• Cellaring as a library vintage for special occasions
• Exploring Alexander Valley terroir compared to Napa Valley expressions

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ferrari-Carano Cabernet 2012 taste like? It delivers dense, ripe blackberry and smoked currant flavors layered with mocha, cedar, tobacco, and earth, finishing with vanilla bean sweetness and well-integrated tannins.

How does Ferrari-Carano Cabernet compare to Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon? Both are fruit-forward California Cabernets, but Ferrari-Carano's Alexander Valley sourcing tends to produce more earthy, structured wines with cedar and tobacco nuances, while Caymus Napa Valley bottlings typically lean toward riper, more opulent dark fruit. The Ferrari-Carano 2012 also carries a more pronounced French oak influence from its 16-month barrel program.

Is Ferrari-Carano Cabernet 2012 good for sipping neat? Yes — the wine's balance of ripe fruit, oak complexity, and fine tannins makes it well-suited for sipping on its own, especially after brief decanting to let the aromatics fully develop.

Where is Ferrari-Carano Cabernet made? It is produced by Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery in the Alexander Valley appellation of Sonoma County, California, using mountain-grown fruit from the surrounding area.

What foods pair well with Ferrari-Carano Cabernet 2012? Grilled ribeye or filet mignon matches the wine's tannic structure; braised lamb shanks complement its earthy, spiced character; aged cheddar or Gruyère echo its cedar and caramel notes; mushroom risotto pairs well with its forest floor undertones; and dark chocolate desserts mirror the mocha finish.

What sizes does Ferrari-Carano Cabernet come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format for this wine.

Is Ferrari-Carano Cabernet 2012 worth the price? It positions as a mid-premium Alexander Valley Cabernet, and the combination of a strong 2012 vintage, 90-point Wine Spectator rating, and 94-point CellarTracker average suggests solid value relative to comparably scored Sonoma and Napa Cabernets.

Why Ferrari-Carano Cabernet 2012?

The 2012 vintage stands out in Ferrari-Carano's Cabernet program for the quality of the growing season and the resulting concentration in the glass. Mountain-grown Alexander Valley fruit, shaped by 16 months in French oak, delivers a wine that balances power with finesse — a trait confirmed by both its Wine Spectator score and strong CellarTracker consensus. As a library vintage now over a decade old, it represents an opportunity to taste how Sonoma Cabernet evolves with bottle age, a dimension that current releases simply cannot offer. For anyone invested in California Cabernet beyond the usual Napa names, this bottle makes a compelling case for Alexander Valley.