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.