Ceretto
About Ceretto
Founded in the 1930s by Riccardo Ceretto, the great man’s eponymous “azienda vinicola” did not own any vineyards throughout its formative years, instead of focusing singularly on the vinification of grapes purchased from growers across the region.
Taking the youthful boldness and vision, Riccardo’s sons embarked on a project of ambitious purchasing. In the 1960s, Bruno and Marcello were highly attuned to the winds of change, which would see a deepened appreciation for terroir in all its glorious subtly and peculiarities.
The 1960s saw the brothers begin their epic Odyssey of mapping, studying and finally purchasing swathes of the greatest vineyards available. Truly avant-garde in the region, this foresight has paid dividends when one considers both the extent of Ceretto holdings and the sublime wines crafted from these individual terroirs. Neither brother left the region after their great expansion – remarkably, 2020 saw Marcello celebrate his 60th harvest amongst the vines in the heat, rain and wind shoulder to shoulder with fellow pickers.
Viniculture
In Barbaresco, the “Queen” to Barolo’s “King”, Ceretto owns and sources grapes from; Asili, famed for its silky tannins - Pajoré, a high-altitude limestone site in Treiso - Rabajà, with its dark fruits and muscular structure and Santo Stefano, arguably the single greatest Barbaresco vineyard of them all.
A model of exceptional management, the third generation of Ceretto vignerons have inherited a second Eden planted with transcendent vines in the shadow of the mountains – a testament to this philosophy, the entire range of Ceretto wines is certified organic as of 2015.
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Wine Advocate (97)
I wasn't sure how to order my tasting flight of Ceretto's four single-vineyard Baroli (from Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d'Alba and Serralunga d'Alba), so I decided to start with this wine from Brunate in La Morra, at the heart of the appellation. The 2016 Barolo Brunate shows a dark core of fruit, and you are immediately aware of the depth and profound nature of this wine. The bouquet is lifted by cassis, wild cherry and plum. The ferrous quality that we saw in some of the other wines is softer here, and I would describe Brunate as the most fruit-forward (at this young stage) with elegant tannins and impactful fruit weight on the finish. All of these wines are aged in new oak (just 10% of the total) and used oak barrel (90%) for the first 12 months. After that, the wine is racked into Austrian oak casks for an additional two years before going into bottle for one more year.Inc. VAT£897.23 -
Wine Advocate (95+)
The 2015 Barolo Prapò is a gorgeous expression of this vineyard site in Serralunga d'Alba, with an incredible sense of textural fiber that is so fine and tightly knit. The mouthfeel is extremely polished and silky. Like other Barolos from Ceretto, it almost seems a shame to distract attention from this craftsmanship with flavors from a heavy meal, and so it might be better to cellar it for a decade and then celebrate it with fine cheeses or pâté. Some 7,000 bottles were produced.Inc. VAT£743.80
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Wine Advocate (97)
I wasn't sure how to order my tasting flight of Ceretto's four single-vineyard Baroli (from Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d'Alba and Serralunga d'Alba), so I decided to start with this wine from Brunate in La Morra, at the heart of the appellation. The 2016 Barolo Brunate shows a dark core of fruit, and you are immediately aware of the depth and profound nature of this wine. The bouquet is lifted by cassis, wild cherry and plum. The ferrous quality that we saw in some of the other wines is softer here, and I would describe Brunate as the most fruit-forward (at this young stage) with elegant tannins and impactful fruit weight on the finish. All of these wines are aged in new oak (just 10% of the total) and used oak barrel (90%) for the first 12 months. After that, the wine is racked into Austrian oak casks for an additional two years before going into bottle for one more year.In Bond£737.00 -
Wine Advocate (95+)
The 2015 Barolo Prapò is a gorgeous expression of this vineyard site in Serralunga d'Alba, with an incredible sense of textural fiber that is so fine and tightly knit. The mouthfeel is extremely polished and silky. Like other Barolos from Ceretto, it almost seems a shame to distract attention from this craftsmanship with flavors from a heavy meal, and so it might be better to cellar it for a decade and then celebrate it with fine cheeses or pâté. Some 7,000 bottles were produced.In Bond£607.00