Ceretto - Blange Langhe Arneis - Piedmont

The business was founded by Riccardo Ceretto in 1937, principally as a négociant in Alba. He was joined by his sons Bruno and Marcello in the 1960s; wanting to make their own wines, they began to buy premium land in Barolo and Barbaresco, and were among the very first in the region to see the potential of single-vineyard wines. Bruno’s children, Frederico and Roberta, and Marcello’s, Alessandro and Lisa, joined in the 1990s.

After a period of change and experimentation, a particular style began to appear in 2010, using a shorter skin contact and a mix of barrique and small bottle for a supple but precise expression of Nebbiolo. The family are also involved in various artistic and heritage projects, including the rejuvenation of the famous Piedmont hazelnuts and two restaurants in Alba.

The skill with which the Ceretto family chose their vineyards in the 1960s is further endorsed by their activity in Barbaresco. Today, they own a prime site in Asili – one of the region’s greatest vineyards – and Bernadot, the best site of the Treiso district. A small parcel of Gallina in Neive was acquired in 2017, to further enhance their representation of the different communes in the region. Barbaresco is traditionally felt to be a little warmer than Barolo, and the Ceretto 2019s certainly have the flesh and charm to complement the more coiled style of the vintage.

Piemonte (Piedmont) occupies most of northwestern Italy, bordering Switzerland in the north and France in the west and almost reaching the Mediterranean coast. Its capital and largest city is Turin (Torino).

In the wine world, Piemonte is best known for the twin titans of Barolo and Barbaresco, along with other popular red wines made from Barbera and Dolcetto, the white Gavi, and sparkling Asti.

It has more DOCGs (17) and DOCs (42) than any other region (see maps: Asti area, Langhe, Monferrato, and northern), but no IGPs. In 2016, Piemonte produced 2.5 million hl (28.3 million cases) of wine, the majority of it (55%) red and 83% at the DOP level. The region’s primary grape varieties are Barbera (31%), Moscato (22%), Dolcetto (13%), and Nebbiolo (10%).