Ceretto
Vineyards
Barbaresco
Located less than 16 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of Barolo, the smaller Barbaresco region is slightly lower in elevation, resulting in a warmer climate and therefore earlier harvests. At half the size of Barolo, Barbaresco has 648 planted hectares (1,600 acres), much of which are devoted to Nebbiolo, but there are also vineyards planted to Dolcetto, Barbera and Moscato. Single vineyards, or crus, have also risen to prominence and center around three main villages: Barbaresco, Treiso and Nieve. The Ceretto family owns parcels of the most prestigious vineyards in Barbaresco and Treiso.
The Estate: Bricco Asili
Built at the top of the Asili vineyard, on one of the region’s most revered sites, the Bricco Asili winery was the first of the Cerettos four estates. Named for its location, “Bricco,” meaning “top of the hill,” it is located near the village of Barbaresco and was completed in 1971. It is dedicated to the production of only two wines from Barbaresco, its namesake Bricco Asili and Bernardot. Modeled after a French chateau, it is still one of only a handful of wineries built in the center of a vineyard.
The Vineyards
In 1969, the Cerettos purchased and planted Bricco Asili (1.2 hectares/3 acres) south of the village of Barbaresco. It was the first vineyard parcel purchased by the family. Bricco Asili vineyard has a southwestern exposure and ranges in elevation from 290 to 320 meters (948 to 1,049 feet). The ratio of clay (48%) to silt (33%) and sand (19%) is similar to the Ceretto’s Barolo vineyards, with nearly 50 percent clay, but there is almost twice as much silt as sand, resulting in elegant and aromatic wines.
The second cru, Bernardot (4.9 hectares/12 acres) was acquired in 1997. It had been planted by the previous owner and was replanted by the Cerettos over the course of a few years, from 1998 to 2000. Its elevation, at 400 meters (1,300 feet), makes it the highest among the Ceretto’s vineyards. Located south of the village of Treiso, with a southern exposure, the Bernardot vineyard soil composition is silt (35%), clay (42%) and sand (23%). It also produces a softer-style Nebbiolo than neighboring Barolo.
Additional Ceretto holdings in Barbaresco include vineyards totaling 10 hectares (25 acres) near the villages of Barbaresco and Treiso. These vineyards, in addition to a portion of grapes harvested from the Bricco Asili vineyard, are used for the production of Asij Barbaresco DOCG, which is also made at Monsordo Bernardina.
Barolo
Within the hilly Langhe region is Barolo, where the most coveted Nebbiolo wines are produced. Barolo is divided into three main areas defined by soil variances, and is planted to more than 1,620 hectares (4,000 acres), with vineyards primarily in and around 11 villages. Five of the villages are considered the very best in the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) zone. The Ceretto family produces cru wines from vineyard parcels they own in four of the five villages, including Barolo, Serralunga d’Alba, La Morra and Castiglione Falletto.
The Estate: Bricco Rocche
In 1978, the Cerettos purchased Bricco Rocche, a vineyard parcel near the village of Castiglione Falletto. At the top of the hill surrounded by the Bricco Rocche vineyard, they built a winery which was completed in 1982. It is the home to Ceretto’s four single-vineyard Barolos, the eponymous Bricco Rocche, Prapò, Brunate and the yet-to-be released Cannubi.
The Vineyards
The first vineyard purchased and planted by the Cerettos in Barolo was Prapò (2.4 hectares/6 acres) in 1972, located near the village of Serralunga d’Alba, on the eastern side of the Barolo where the soils are less fertile. With an iron-rich soil that is largely clay (53%) with silt (28%) and sand (19%), and an elevation of 310 to 370 meters (1,017 to 1,217 feet), Prapò produces wines of intensity with profound tannins.
The second vineyard parcel, acquired two years later, was Brunate (5.7 hectares/14 acres), a vineyard located south of the village La Morra, which is in the northwestern area of Barolo. Purchased and planted in 1974, the vineyard elevation ranges from 275 to 342 meters (900 to 1,122 feet) and has a southeastern exposure. The soil composition is heavily clay (52%) with silt (32%) and sand (16%), and is magnesium rich, which is known for producing deeply aromatic wines.
In 1978, the Bricco Rocche vineyard (1.8 hectares/4.5 acres) in the village of Castiglione Falletto was purchased and planted. On the eastern side of Barolo, Bricco Rocche is known for its sandy soil that produces aromatic wines. The soil composition is predominantly clay (59%) mixed with equal amounts of silt (20.5%) and sand (20.5%). Bricco Rocche’s elevation ranges from 312 meters (1,023 feet) at the bottom of the vineyard’s slope to 340 meters (1,115 feet) at the top.
The most recent cru to be added to the Ceretto line up is Cannubi (0.3 hectare/0.75 acre), one of the most renowned vineyards in the region. Located just north of the village of Barolo in the center of the region, it is at an elevation of nearly 305 meters (1,000 feet) and is comprised of clay, silt and sand. The first vintage, 2003, will be released in 2013.
In addition to the four crus, Ceretto sources grapes from two parcels near the villages of Barolo and Serralunga that total 4 hectares (10 acres) of Nebbiolo. These vineyards are used for the production of Zonchera Barolo DOCG, which is produced at the Monsordo Bernardina winery in Alba.
Langhe
The Langhe Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) zone stretches from Alba in the north to the southern edge of Piedmont. Renowned for its subtle variation in soil from one vineyard to the next, the Langhe is planted to a wide variety of grapes, from the native Nebbiolo to Arneis, Moscato, Dolcetto, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, most of which the Ceretto family grows in estate-owned vineyards located throughout the region.
The Estate: Monsordo Bernardina
In 1987, the Cerettos assumed use of the Monsordo Bernardina estate in the village of Alba. A historic farmstead that once belonged to the first King of Italy, Vittorio Emanuele II, the Monsordo Bernardina winery is dedicated to the production of Blangè Arneis, Monsordo Langhe Rosso, Asij, Zonchera and Rossana.
The Vineyards
The Monsordo Bernardina vineyard is planted to Arneis (11 hectares/27 acres), Cabernet Sauvignon (4.5 hectares/11 acres), Nebbiolo (4 hectares/10 acres), Merlot (3.4 hectares/8.5 acres) and Syrah (2 hectares/5 acres). The vineyard has a southwestern exposure and ranges in elevation from 240 to 285 meters (787 to 935 feet). Its soil composition is clay (50%), sand (40%) and silt (10%). Two wines are produced from the vineyard: Monsordo Langhe Rosso DOC, which is a blend made from primarily Nebbiolo with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah; and Blangè Langhe Arneis DOC.
In addition to the Monsordo Bernardina vineyard, the Cerettos grow Arneis grapes in key sites in the Roero DOC zone. The vineyards, located in Roero north of the Tanaro River, are near the villages of Vezza d’Alba and Castellinaldo and total 55 hectares (136 acres).
The Rossana vineyard (10 hectares/25 acres), on the outskirts of the village of Alba, was purchased in the early 1960s by Riccardo and is used to produce Dolcetto d’Alba. It is considered one of the top single vineyards for Dolcetto, given its broad exposure which ranges from southeastern to southwestern, with a soil composition of clay (46%), silt (43%) and sand (11%).
The Estate: I Vignaioli Santo Stefano
In 1977, the Cerettos, in partnership with Sergio Santi and the Scavino brothers, founded I Vignaioli Santo Stefano in the village where Riccardo was born. It was a huge undertaking. Long passed over due to its reputation as a mass-produced, poorly made product, Moscato was revitalized by the Ceretto’s efforts, which turned the industry around.
The Vineyards
The grapes used for the Moscato wines produced at I Vignaioli Santo Stefano are primarily grown on 25 hectares (62 acres) of estate owned vineyards surrounding the winery. Additional grapes are sourced from a 20-hectare (48-acre) vineyard on a prestigious hillside near Santo Stefano Belbo farmed by the Ceretto family.
