Ceretto

Riccardo Ceretto established Ceretto Casa Vinicola in Alba in 1937, initially purchasing grapes from around the Langhe and Roero rather than owning vineyards. The pivotal transformation came in the 1960s when his sons Bruno and Marcello joined and began mapping the best vineyard sites in the region, inspired by the Burgundian cru model. They were among the very first producers in Piedmont to release single-vineyard Barolo and Barbaresco wines, with the first such releases in 1974. In 1999 the third generation, Lisa, Roberta, Alessandro, and Federico, joined the company and have since expanded Ceretto's reach into art, architecture, and fine dining while deepening the commitment to organic and biodynamic viticulture.

• 1937: Riccardo Ceretto founds Ceretto Casa Vinicola in Alba as a négociant, purchasing grapes rather than owning land
• 1960s: Bruno and Marcello join; begin acquiring premium cru vineyards in Barolo and Barbaresco, pioneering single-vineyard releases from 1974
• 1999: Third generation (Lisa, Roberta, Alessandro, Federico) joins; 1994 saw launch of the Relanghe hazelnut and nougat project
• 2009 onward: Alessandro, as head winemaker, hires consultant Adriano Zago and shifts all Nebbiolo vineyards toward biodynamic agriculture

Ceretto owns more than 170 hectares of vineyards across the Langhe and Roero, of which 25 hectares lie within the Barolo and Barbaresco DOCGs. These premium holdings are divided among nine single-vineyard crus: six in Barolo (Bricco Rocche, Brunate, Prapò, Cannubi San Lorenzo, Rocche di Castiglione, and Bussia) and three in Barbaresco (Asili, Bernadot, and Gallina). The Langhe soils are rich in calcareous marly clay alternated with sand, and the vineyards sit 70 km from the Mediterranean and 50 km from the Alps, giving a cool-continental microclimate with wide diurnal temperature variation during ripening. The Bricco Rocche vineyard in Castiglione Falletto is a Ceretto monopole; the Asili cru in Barbaresco contributes 1.3 of its total 14.25 hectares to Ceretto, with south-southwest-facing vines on calcareous marly clay with elevated magnesium and manganese.

• 25 hectares in Barolo and Barbaresco DOCGs; nine single-vineyard crus total (six Barolo, three Barbaresco)
• Bricco Rocche (Castiglione Falletto): Ceretto monopole; winery built 1982, expanded with glass Cube in 2000
• Asili (Barbaresco): Ceretto owns 1.3 of 14.25 total hectares; calcareous marly clay with magnesium and manganese; south-southwest exposure, vines roughly 40 years old
• Bernadot (Treiso): 4.8-hectare site at 400 metres in a natural amphitheater; farmed biodynamically by Ceretto

A decisive stylistic shift began in 2009 when Alessandro Ceretto hired biodynamic consultant Adriano Zago to convert the Nebbiolo vineyards, working first with the best plots and expanding until all vineyards achieved organic certification by the 2015 vintage. Winemaking follows a transparency-first approach: grapes are hand-harvested, fermented in stainless steel at 25 to 26 degrees Celsius with maceration of 20 to 25 days, and single-vineyard parcels are vinified separately before blending before bottling. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrique, followed by 10 to 12 months aging in barrique or tonneaux, then one to two years (depending on whether the wine is Barolo or Barbaresco) in French and Slavonian oak botti grandi. All wines are bottled unfiltered and spend at least one additional year in the cellar before release. The family works closely with French soil scientists Claude and Lydia Bourguignon to understand and improve soil vitality.

• 2009: Biodynamic consultant Adriano Zago hired; vineyard conversion begins with Nebbiolo plots; organic certification achieved from 2015 vintage
• Fermentation in stainless steel at 25 to 26 degrees Celsius; 20 to 25 days maceration; parcels vinified separately then assembled before bottling
• Aging: 10 to 12 months in barrique or tonneaux, then 1 year (Barbaresco) or 2 years (Barolo) in French and Slavonian botti grandi; bottled unfiltered
• Family collaborates with soil experts Claude and Lydia Bourguignon; massal selection of best Nebbiolo vines conducted in the 1990s to establish a mother-vine collection

Ceretto produces a hierarchy of wines across four estates. At the entry level, the Barolo and Barbaresco blends draw from across the DOCG appellations. Nine single-vineyard crus form the prestige tier: Brunate (La Morra), Ceretto's largest single-vineyard Barolo at roughly 8,000 bottles annually, is celebrated for its plump fruit and mineral precision; Bricco Rocche (monopole, Castiglione Falletto) represents the most concentrated expression; Prapò (Serralunga d'Alba) and Cannubi San Lorenzo (Barolo commune) complete the muscular end of the Barolo range. In Barbaresco, Asili is perfumed and refined, Bernadot from Treiso offers higher-altitude freshness, and Gallina from Neive adds a savoury, structured character. The estate also produces the Langhe Arneis Blangé, a single-vineyard white that became one of Italy's most successful dry whites from the 1980s onward and accounts for a significant share of total production.

• Barolo Bricco Rocche: Ceretto monopole in Castiglione Falletto; most concentrated and age-worthy single-vineyard Barolo in the range
• Barolo Brunate (La Morra): largest single-vineyard Barolo production at approximately 8,000 bottles; celebrated for plump fruit and mineral lift
• Barbaresco Asili: 1.3 hectares of the 14.25-hectare cru; refined and perfumed; name changed from Bricco Asili after 2007 Italian MGA classification
• Langhe Arneis Blangé: pioneering single-vineyard white launched in the 1980s; one of Italy's most successful dry whites and Ceretto's highest-volume label

The Ceretto family has been as influential in the cultural life of the Langhe as in its vineyards. In 1999, British artist David Tremlett, during a stay in the region, proposed transforming the derelict 1914 Cappella di Santa Maria delle Grazie in the Brunate vineyard near La Morra into a work of contemporary art. He invited his friend Sol LeWitt to collaborate: LeWitt painted the exterior with vibrant geometric colors while Tremlett worked the interior. Commissioned by the Cerettos and inaugurated in 1999, the chapel now attracts over 60,000 visitors per year. That same year the third generation joined the company, and in 2000 the iconic glass Cube was installed at the top of the Bricco Rocche vineyard. In 2005, the Ceretto family opened two restaurants in a single building in central Alba: the three-Michelin-starred Piazza Duomo under chef Enrico Crippa (stars awarded 2006, 2009, and 2012) and the informal La Piola. The family also owns the Relanghe project, founded in 1994 to preserve the Piedmont IGP hazelnut (Nocciola Tonda Gentile delle Langhe) through fine confections including nougat.

• 1999: Barolo Chapel (Cappella del Barolo) inaugurated; Sol LeWitt painted the exterior, David Tremlett the interior; visited by over 60,000 people annually
• 2000: Glass Cube (Cubo) built at Bricco Rocche winery in Castiglione Falletto, now an architectural icon of the Barolo landscape
• 2005: Piazza Duomo and La Piola restaurants open in Alba; Piazza Duomo earns three Michelin stars (2006, 2009, 2012) under chef Enrico Crippa
• 1994: Relanghe project founded to champion Piedmont IGP hazelnuts and traditional nougat; family also owns 98 acres of hazelnut orchards

Ceretto's modern style, shaped since 2009, prioritises site transparency and restraint. Single-vineyard Barolos show pale to medium garnet in youth, evolving toward brick-orange at the rim over a decade or more. The aromatic profile emphasises primary red cherry, rose, violet, and dried herbs, with secondary mineral, leather, and balsamic notes developing with time. New oak is deliberately limited, so the palate reveals fine-grained Nebbiolo tannins rather than a woody frame, with a saline, mineral-driven finish. Brunate (La Morra) tends toward plumper fruit and suppler texture, while Prapò (Serralunga) and Bricco Rocche (Castiglione Falletto) deliver greater structural grip and aging potential. This breadth across crus, from the more approachable La Morra style to the austere Serralunga character, makes Ceretto an ideal study in Barolo commune-by-commune terroir expression.

• Pale to medium garnet in youth; gradual brick-orange rim develops after a decade, reflecting restrained oak use and terroir-focused winemaking
• Aromatic profile: red cherry, rose petal, dried herbs, with mineral, leather, and balsamic complexity developing over time; oak deliberately subdued
• Palate: fine-grained Nebbiolo tannins with saline, mineral-driven finish; La Morra crus (Brunate) are more supple; Serralunga and Castiglione Falletto crus offer greater grip and longevity
• All single-vineyard wines bottled unfiltered; vinified by parcel and assembled before bottling to preserve site specificity