Ceretto Winery - Langhe

​For a lover of Italian food and wine a visit to the Langhe can not be done without visiting some of the most famous Italian wineries and tasting perhaps the most delicious kind of grape we have in the beautiful country: the Nebbiolo.
My choice for Saturday mornings to inaugurate a gourmet weekend fell on the Ceretto wineries in Alba.
Riccardo Ceretto, originally from Valdivilla (frazione of Santo Stefano Belbo), founded the Ceretto Winery at Alba in the ' 30s. In the ' 60, Bruno and Marcello, the Sons of Riccardo, selected and bought vineyards in the Langhe and Roero, among which some of the best cru of Barolo and Barbaresco for the vinification and commercialization of their wines.
One of their famous words: 
 "We are for the land one hundred percent, the cellar certainly a little counts, however the great wines are made with grapes."
And this surely shines through entering the great building that dominates the Langhirole hills; from the outside a little massive, the room where you wait to start the visit is dominated by large windows with a crazy view on the rows of vineyards and the famous 'Grape', the structure in the shape of a half of grape that is a kind of terrace overlooking the rows of vineyards; In my case, the luck wanted that the day was  misty foggy, along with the warm colors of the leaves, an autumn landscape of all characteristic and peculiar to this area.

​At the end of the '80 the Ceretto family choose an ancient farmhouse at the gates of Alba, gradually transforming it into its headquarters. This estate called Monsordo Bernardina, historically linked to the romance between Vittorio Emanuele II and the beautiful Rosina, became in a few years the nerve center of the company; here, in fact, we concentrate beyond the operations related to the production and refinement of some of the most important company labels, the administrative and commercial activities, the offices and the warehouse. More than 30 hectares of vines surround the farmhouse and host traditional and international varieties, all cultivated according to strong principles of environmental sustainability. Tradition in Ceretto's house rhymes with innovation and here is that on the wave of creative thrust, in 2009, was born precisely the Acino, a permanent installation overlooking the beautiful vineyards, which is a corollary to a modern space for the reception and promotion of the Territory.
And I confess that tasting in these bright rooms overlooking this panorama is really something unforgettable.

The visit runs between the outside courtyard and the halls with wooden barrels while the guide tells the story from the birth of the company to the present day.

Then, with my great satisfaction the time for tastings different types of wine has come.

Ceretto Langhe Arneis DOC Blangè 2016
Born in 1985, the "Blangè" was among the first big bets of Bruno and Marcello Ceretto. To think of a white, in the great moment of the Reds, was in fact a brilliant intuition. The first plot was purchased in the hills of Vezza d'alba, a place that with the passage of time would be ideal for the perfect maturation of this rare indigenous grape. The Langhe Arneis DOC "Blangé" 2015 by Ceretto is a fruity white, naturally elegant.
Pale straw yellow, with a very light perlage. The nose expresses clear fruity hints of apple and pear in particular. Fragrant, savoury, dry and pleasant, it closes with a decidedly fresh finish, inviting to taste again.

​Ceretto Barolo Brunate DOCG 2013
The vinification takes place in thermoconditioned or cement steel tanks, while the maturation process continues in medium and large-capacity Slavonian oak barrels (20-50 Hl) for at least three years. The Barolo Brunate DOCG-Francesco Rinaldi & Figli is one of the flagship labels of the company. After bottling it continues to improve in elegance and harmony for many years: it is an excellent wine to forget in the cellar for at least three or four years, but if you could wait further, the surprises could be greater, moreover without having drain your wallet.
Ruby red with grenade reflections, tending to the orange with the passing of the years. Rich in fruit-plums and black cherries especially, it also has hints of leather, tar and licorice. The tasting is structured and explosive, characterized by beautiful tannins, which clearly promise to sustain it for still many years.

​Barbaresco Ceretto Bernadot 2015.
The Barbaresco DOCG "Bernadot" of Ceretto is a firm red wine structured and elegant produced with grapes from a small Cru of the hills of Treiso. The nose has deep and elegant sensations with floral and fruity notes, with hints of sour cherries and tobacco; A large structure and round tannins. It is a particularly pleasant wine, fragrant, clean, but also energetic and strong, absolutely to try. It's 24 months in tonneau and big barrels.
Robust and full-bodied red wine, it needs a minimum of oxygenation to unlock all its deep and complex perfumes and to enhance its evolution in the goblet.
Excellent balance, perfect to combine with grills, pasta with meat sauce, red meat in stewed, seasoned and blue cheeses.

​Barolo Ceretto 2014.
Barolo Ceretto comes from grapes from vineyards in the municipalities of La Morra, Barolo and Serralunga, in the province of Cuneo.
It is obtained entirely from Nebbiolo grapes vinified at controlled temperature in steel tanks for 14-15 days with maceration in contact with the skins. After the malolactic fermentation, the wine is used for 12 months in oak tonneaux and then for a further 12 months in the barrel before being bottled.
The Barolo Ceretto is a bright red colour with shelled shades. The nose opens with hints of rose petals, spices and sour cherries in spirit. The taste gives an intense, balanced and round touch.
Perfect in combination with structured dishes like a lamb loin with roast potatoes.

Barbaresco Ceretto 2015.
The tradition in Langa is not that of Cru. It seems strange because the Langhe are the first and largest production area that has been completely mapped, since the end of the ‘90, with the identification on the map of all Cru, or the names of hills, valleys, fortresses, in short, all the Plots that had a proper historical name and a proper relevance. Think of Cannubi For example, a name in use even before it was "invented" the Barolo. All these crus can be indicated on the label, as additional geographic mentions, on one condition, that the grapes come from the specific Cru on the bottle. Tradition instead, historically was not that. It was used and still used, to mix wines from more Cru, to have more balanced and ready-to-go wines. In fact, every plot, every different vineyard, has different peculiar characteristics and sometimes those characteristics need time to fully express themselves. Instead, drawing from different vines, we seek balance, possibly even at a young age. This is the case of the Barbaresco Docg di Ceretto, an organic wine, the result of the fermentation of grapes from the nursery crèches in Barbaresco and Bernadot in Treiso. The contribution of the two vines allows you to have a Barolo with a great balance and surprisingly ready very quickly.
The Barbaresco Docg di Ceretto is a great red wine that represents the perfect expression of the Piedmontese tradition. Gared in the right spot, elegant to the smell, it opens with fruity and balsamic, spicy and floral notes. The palate is a game of balances between the subtlety typical of the kindergartens Cru and the carnosity given by the grapes of the Bernadot of Treiso. The ​finish is long, persistent, very elegant.  

Nebbiolo Ceretto d'alba Bernardina.
The Nebbiolo D'Alba Bernardina is born in the historic estate of Monsordo-Bernardina, located on the border with the territory suited to the production of Barolo, his elder brother.
Nebbiolo grapes are harvested in the second half of October and then crushed and vinified in steel tanks. Maceration takes place at controlled temperature for about 15 days while the maturation takes place in wooden barrels for 12 months.
The Nebbiolo d'alba Bernardina has a red garly-coloured exhaust, with slight, tiled shades, typical of this noble grape. The nose stands out notes of brushwood, potpourri of flowers and sweet spices. In the mouth, the palate is satisfied by an elegant tannin and a velvety closure.
It expresses its best combined with a cutting board of seasoned cheeses or seconds of game.