Product information

Luigi Baudana Barolo ‘Cerretta’ 2017

Nebbiolo from Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo, Piedmont, Italy

$185

$180ea in any 3+
$175ea in any 6+
Closure: Cork
Nebbiolo, Barolo, Serralunga, Cerretta = Enough Said!

Description

A dark, sombre wine, the 2017 Barolo Cerretta shows the more potent, brooding side of Serralunga. Black cherry, gravel, smoke, cured meats, cloves and menthol add to an impression of virile intensity and pure power. Readers will have to be patient here, but there is certainly a ton to look forward to. This is another impressive showing from Baudana and the Vajra family. 

Galloni

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Check out all of the wines by Luigi Baudana

Why is this Wine so Yummy?

Cerretta is a dive into pure Formazione di Lequio. The wine is brooding yet austere, enriched with the balsamic tones of mint that are so typical of the village and of this cru. The 2015 vintage combines the expressive tannins with high red fruits tones complemented by a menthol and rosemary long finish. VARIETY: 100% Nebbiolo grapes.

VINEYARD AND TERROIR Cerretta

GROWING Luigi and Fiorina always tended their vines with the outmost care. One episode really illustrates their care. Summer of 2008, two days after a serious hailstorm that hit Serralunga: their vineyards showed no signs of damage because the couple had ‘cleaned’ every single bunch to make sure ruined berries wouldn’t affect the rest of the cluster. Since 2009, the vineyards have been farmed under the Vajra’s organic protocol. Intense research is also placed into monitoring and improving the biodiversity of both flora and fauna not just in the vineyards, but also in the winery fields and forests. The winery is sustainably certified (UNI EN 11233:2009) and will be again fully organic certified since 2019.

HARVEST AND WINEMAKING Fruit is usually picked in mid-October, with a delicate fermentation in open-top tini that runs approximately 20-30 days followed by cappello sommerso. Cerretta is famous for its extremely slow fermentation kinetic. Punch-downs and gentle pump-overs are the only operations over the time of maceration. Malolactic fermentation is spontaneous and usually happens in the following spring.

These Nebbiolo vineyards are located in Serralunga with slightly varying soil compositions. An average altitude of 340m and vines aged between 20 and 30 years complete the identity of this wine. The harvest takes place in the second half of October, enjoying till the last moment the rich nourishment the soil offers. The grapes are sorted by hand. Fermentation usually lasts 25 days before the wine is moved into large casks for ageing. – Giuseppe Vaira

We had the great fortune to spend an afternoon with Guiseppe this year. His passion, and, his families passion, thoughtful, and, humble approach to their work is inspiring.

Listen to 🎧Giusseppe explore the history of Barolo, the estate, and, the wines.

About Luigi Baudana

Luigi Baudana is one of the smallest active wineries in Serralunga d’Alba and the entire Barolo region. With only 2,6 hectares (6.4 acres) farmed in some of the prime crus of the village, this can rightly be considered a true garagiste producer.

After 30 years running the winery, and without heirs to take over the business, Luigi and Fiorina Baudana took the difficult decision to sell. Because of the location of the vineyards, in the heart of the ‘golden mile’ of Barolo, Luigi and Fiorina were offered some eye-watering sums of money. They were concerned, however, that the name and estate should continue as is, rather than be absorbed into a larger entity.

As part of his research, Luigi visited the Vajra winery incognito one day, and was so impressed with the way they dealt with people and communicated their philosophy, that he rang Aldo soon afterwards to ask if he would be interested in buying the estate. A deal was soon done, and the Vajra family have run this estate alongside Luigi and Fiorina ever since. We have tasted the wines every year and watched them improve. The depth of flavour and intensity that comes from the vineyards has remained, but the Vajra touch in the cellar has brought them to a new level.

It was 2009 when Luigi Baudana entrusted the Vaira family with his historical vines in Serralunga d’Alba. For the Vairas, it was a dream come true; Aldo had always loved Barolo from the Helvetian soils of the area, and felt honoured to have the chance to better understand and work this land. With their love of a challenge, the Vaira family jumped at the chance to start a new adventure. Cerretta and Baudana rival the very best single-cru Barolo of the region. The range also features a Barolo that flies the flag for the Serralunga commune.

Luigi and Fiorina

For over 30 years, Luigi and his wife Fiorina carried on the family’s heritage in Serralunga d’Alba.
They cared for their vineyards with the same tenderness of their own love.

Baudana’s Vineyards

The 2017 Vintage

2017 will be remembered as hot with low rainfall. Winter was mild, while spring brought some rain and above-average temperatures. May saw the beginning of a long period of fine weather with summer maximums above average, though cooler nights than in other hot years.

End of August and early September, some welcome rain arrived, followed by a sharp drop in temperatures and marked diurnal temperature shifts. The later ripening nebbiolo and barbera benefitted most. While the overall growing season was shorter, it still lasted on average 185 days compared with 170 in other ‘hot’ years, and 200 in classic vintages.

The accumulation of anthocyanins and tannins was excellent, and while alcohols are higher, they are not out of the average, especially for nebbiolo. Ph levels were good and acids lower. Yields were below average of compact bunches, with harvest occurring around 2 weeks early.

2017 yielded wines of great promise – the cool nights and return to ‘average’ conditions in September being major contributing factors. In fact the 2017 Barolos show remarkable freshness and elegance, with the top producers building on their experience of warmer years, which began with the torrid 2003.

Galloni does an excellent job exploring the 2017 growing season and vintage in his article “2017 Barolo: Here We Go Again…” It’s clear the growers and makers of Piedmont have got their heads around warmer vintages and how to get the most in both the vineyard, and, the winery.

“There is plenty to like about the 2017 Barolos… In tasting, the 2017s are mid-weight Barolos with the classic structure of Nebbiolo. They are often intensely aromatic. Acids and tannins are prominent in many wines. The fruit profiles are ripe, often distinctly redtoned, but not cooked or over-ripe. Perhaps most importantly, the 2017 Barolos are very true to site, which is always a concern with vintages marked by warm weather. The best 2017s are exceptionally polished, vivid and flat-out delicious”

Galloni

Where in the World is Baudana?

The Commune of Serralunga runs in a strip along the eastern side of the region. The vineyards of Baudana & Cerretta are in the top half the Commune.

Click to Enlarge🔍
94 Points

Forest floor, prune, leather and pipe tobacco aromas make their way to the forefront. Showing the heat of the vintage, it's full-bodied and concentrated, offering cherry marinated in spirits, licorice and the warmth of evident alcohol. Tightly knit, enveloping tannins provide firm, velvety support. Drink 2025–2032.

Kerin O'Keefe

93 Points

The Luigi Baudana 2017 Barolo Cerretta is the most downplayed of these three wines and the least complicated from an aromatic point of view. A first wave of aromas is focused on wild rose and crushed flowers. More robust tones of ripe cherry, rusty earth and dark spice follow in time. This edition of Cerretta is surprisingly delicate and fine, going against almost everything we know about robust fruit from Serralunga d'Alba and the powerful 2017 vintage. The wine is counterintuitive in a way only Nebbiolo can be.

Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

95 Points

A dark, sombre wine, the 2017 Barolo Cerretta shows the more potent, brooding side of Serralunga. Black cherry, gravel, smoke, cured meats, cloves and menthol add to an impression of virile intensity and pure power. Readers will have to be patient here, but there is certainly a ton to look forward to. This is another impressive showing from Baudana and the Vajra family.

Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Where in the world does the magic happen?

Baudana, Province of Cuneo, Italy

Barolo
Serralunga d'Alba
Piedmont
Italy