Winery
Ceretto
About Ceretto
Its turning-point came in the Sixties, with the arrival on the scene of the second generation: Bruno, who took over the commercial side of the business, and Marcello, who acted as Technical Director. These brothers, polar opposites in nature, worked together to gradually improve the quality of their wines and their vineyards and the reputation of their region. They achieved this by focussing on the concept of terroir and selecting only the finest crus of Barolo and Barbaresco.
In a little more than thirty years, the Ceretto brothers created a network of small independent estates in the Langhe and Roero, purchasing over 120 hectares of land to form a constellation of wineries producing outstanding labels such as the Bricco Rocche Barolos, the Bricco Asili Barbarescos, Blangé Arneis, Moscato from Vignaioli di Santo Stefano, Dolcetto, Barbera, Langhe Monsordo and grappas.
However, not content with just improving the quality of their wines, the brothers also focussed on developing the cultural interests of the family company. They brought in famous designers and architects to develop their winery sites, produced labels that are works of graphic art, and supported book prizes and musical events in the surrounds of Alba, all because of their belief that wine is above-all culture.
In 1999, the next generation joined the family business: Marcello’s heirs, Lisa and Alessandro, in finance & administration and production respectively; and Roberta, Bruno’s firstborn, working in public relations and the promotion of parallel ventures, while her brother, Federico, took on responsibility for the export markets.
Drawing on the craft and temperament, and the aptitude and skills of their fathers, this new generation of Cerettos is demonstrating that tradition also means transition, looking to the future whilst continuing along the twin tracks laid down by their parents.
In the Vineyard
In the vineyard Ceretto has been shifting to organic and biodynamic practices, paying much more attention to the soil and establishing a mother vineyard using selection massale propagating only the best vines.
OK .. if your Italian is half decent you’ll be OK with this one!
In the Winery
In the vineyard Ceretto has been shifting to organic and biodynamic practices, paying much more attention to the soil and establishing a mother vineyard using selection massale propagating only the best vines.
In the winery experimentation has been constant, only now do they seem to be settling on some basic practices. Skin contact has gone from long to short and now sits in the middle. Oak use lifted to 100% new oak and then dropped to half to a third gradually decreasing to around 10% by 2012 with Botti coming back into the picture from 2010. Now the oak regime is only old oak weather 350L or Botti. They’ve played with wild yeast, but, ended up with too many stuck and volatile ferments, converting back to commercial yeast after a couple of years.
If you don’t like oak in your Neb go for the 2013-2015 wines if you don’t mind a bit the older wines come into play.
All in all Ceretto’s wines are tending to more restraint and elegance. Deceptively so given the fruit concentration in many of their vineyards. A winery to watch. Trying their DOCG Barolo & Barbaresco is a good way to get your eye in.
Where in the World is Ceretto?
Ceretto has built a little empire over the years with sites across Piedmonte in Barbaresco, Barolo, Asti & in the Langhe adjacent to the township of Alba.
