All About Ceretto - The Iconic Piedmont Winery (10 Best Wines, Winemaking)

by Anthony Zhang

The Ceretto winery is nestled in the Langhe hills of northern Italy, and is known for crafting magnificent Barolo and Barbaresco wines.

The founder, Ricardo Ceretto, was a trendsetter in producing single-vineyard Barolos.

The winery sources fruit from 400 acres of vineyard holdings in Italy’s finest terroirs.

In this article, we’ll look at all about Ceretto, the top 10 Ceretto wines to buy, it’s investment potential, and a brief history.

A Quick Intro To The Ceretto Wine Estate

Ceretto is a family-owned wine estate based in the Langhe hills in northern Italy. It’s high-quality Barolo and Barbaresco wines from Nebbiolo (one of Italy’s great grapes) are highly sought-after by wine aficionados.

It also makes white wines using Arneis, Riesling, and Chardonnay grapes.

The Ceretto family sources the fruit for these delicate wines from its 400-acre vineyard plots situated throughout Roero, Langhe, Barolo DOCG, and Barbaresco DOCG.

The Ceretto winery also offers fantastic wine tastings and winery tours. For instance, its Cru tasting winery tour covers various terroirs and involves tasting wines like the Barolo Prapò DOCG.

Take a look at the finest bottles from this winemaker.

10 Best Ceretto Wines to Buy In 2021 (Including Tasting Notes, Pricing)

Here are the top Ceretto wines for passionate Italian wine lovers:

2010 Ceretto Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo
2006 Ceretto Bricco Rocche
1984 Ceretto Grappa di Dolcetto d'Alba
1985 Ceretto Villero
2016 Ceretto Bricco Rocche Brunate
2016 Ceretto Bussia, Barolo DOCG, Italy
1998 Ceretto Bricco Asili Faset
1972 Ceretto 'Riccardo Ceretto' Grignolino
2018 Ceretto Barbaresco DOCG
2015 Ceretto I Vignaioli di S. Stefano Moscato d'Asti DOCG

1. 2010 Ceretto Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo, Barolo DOCG, Italy ($554)

This wine reflects the typical Helvetian soil and the Tortonian soils of Barolo. It offers different sensations and aromas of chocolate.

2. 2006 Ceretto Bricco Rocche, Barolo DOCG, Italy ($335)

This great wine has floral and spice aromas. On the palate, this classic Barolo offers a dark red fruit flavor.

3. 1984 Ceretto Grappa di Dolcetto d'Alba, Piedmont, Italy ($178)

This vintage has a red fruit flavor, powerful tannin, and chocolate and hazelnut aromas. It shows remarkable elegance on the palate.

4. 1985 Ceretto Villero, Barolo DOCG, Italy ($163)

Made exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape, this classic Barolo is adored by wine lovers for its crisp acidity and rustic tannin.

5. 2016 Ceretto Bricco Rocche Brunate, Barolo DOCG, Italy ($126)

This great wine has the aromas of ripe fruit and spices. On the palate, this vintage offers a pleasant tannic texture.

6. 2016 Ceretto Bussia, Barolo DOCG, Italy ($121)

This classic Barolo reflects the Barolo appellation and expresses the subtle nuances of its typical Helvetian soil and Tortonian soils.

7. 1998 Ceretto Bricco Asili Faset, Barbaresco DOCG, Italy ($115)

This great wine made from the Nebbiolo grape shows remarkable elegance that expresses the terroir. It has the aromas of chocolate and cherry.

8. 1972 Ceretto 'Riccardo Ceretto' Grignolino, Piedmont, Italy ($106)

This single-vineyard wine has blueberry notes. This vintage offers different sensations creating a great balance on the palate and a long finish.

9. 2018 Ceretto Barbaresco DOCG, Piedmont, Italy ($91)

This ruby-red Piemonte wine reflects the Barbaresco appellation through its remarkable elegance and cherries and spice aromas.

10. 2015 Ceretto I Vignaioli di S. Stefano Moscato d'Asti DOCG, Piedmont, Italy ($30)

This straw-yellow sweet dessert wine has refreshing acidity and sweet melon and pear notes.

Are Ceretto Wines Investment-Worthy?

You can cellar the red wines for about 10+ years, while the white wine bottles (like Ceretto Blange Langhe Arneis) can age for about 5 years.

Ceretto wines show a steady price growth. For example, from Aug 2020 to Jun 2021, the 1985 Ceretto Villero grew by 180% from $61 to $171.

At a 2020 Sotheby’s auction, a 12-bottle lot of the 1985 Ceretto Barolo Bricco Rocche was sold for $1,360+.

If you’re interested in investing in these fine wines, then Vinovest, a leadingwine investment company, can help you buy, store, and sell these investment-worthy wines from around the globe.

You can be assured that your wine bottle is authenticated and stored in safe, bonded warehouses under optimal conditions. Vinovest will even deliver your white wine, dessert wine, and other bottles to you or your buyer, if you decide to sell them.

Now, if you’re keen to know more about Ceretto’s wine making facilities and its origin story, read on!

The Splendid Wineries Of Ceretto

Ceretto has four brilliant wine making facilities:

Monsordo Bernardina estate: The Monsordo Bernardina estate is located on the outskirts of Alba, in Località San Cassiano. It is known for its brilliant Langhe wines like Arneis, Rosso, and a Barbera d’Alba wine, Piana.
Bricco Rocche winery: The Bricco Rocche winery in Castiglione Falletto vinifies Cru wines from the great grapes of Barolo’s finest vines. Two brilliant Barolos from the Bricco Rocche winery are Bussia and Prapo.
Bricco Asili Winery: This is the first winery established by brothers Bruno and Marcello Ceretto. The Bricco Asili winery is known for its Asili and Bernadot Barbaresco wines.
I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano: The I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano winery covers 30 hectares of vineyard land and produces sweet Moscato d'Asti dessert wine and Asti Spumante.

The Ceretto family aims for the best expression of terroir in all its wines - the reason why its 400 acres of vines are managed sustainably.

In these wineries, the wines are barrel-aged in French oak for two years. They undergo fermentation in stainless steel tanks using wild yeasts. This process helps protect the grape juice from the carbon dioxide released during fermentation.

A Brief History Of Ceretto

Ricardo Ceretto founded the winery in 1930 in the Langhe hills of northern Italy. Since he didn’t own a vineyard, he produced wine from the fruit he sourced from other grape growers.

Everything changed when his sons, Bruno and Marcello Ceretto, joined the winery.

In 1960, after taking a trip to Burgundy, the Barolo brothers Bruno and Marcello Ceretto started mapping out Italy’s best wine regions. They later purchased the most sought-after vineyards in Langhe and Roero - which seemed like a difficult journey to their father.

In 1973, Bruno and Marcello founded the first Ceretto winery - Bricco Asili. They acquired I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano in 1976.

In the early 2000s, winemaker Alessandro Ceretto joined the Ceretto family estate and introduced several innovative winemaking techniques like the pied de cuvee technique for fermentation (using wild yeasts.)