Ceretto Barbaresco Asili: 1974-2014
BY IAN D'AGATA |
In Italy and around the world, Barolo may grab most of Piedmont’s wine spotlight, but the truth is that Barbaresco can be capable of similar magic. In fact, I would argue that very few Barolos arte better than some of Bruno Giacosa’s magnificent Barbaresco Santo Stefano wines of the 1970s and ’80s, his own Barolos included. Clearly, Barolo and Barbaresco are different wines, and so in any discussion of the truly outstanding examples of each that have been made over the last five decades or so, it all ends up being a matter of different strokes for different folks. In fact, a closer look at Barbaresco’s production over recent decades reveals a bevy of outstanding world-class wines made in the region, including those by Bruno Rocca, Cigliuti, Giuseppe Cortese, Sottimano and others. That list also includes Ceretto’s marvelous Barbaresco Asili—originally named Bricco Asili prior to the advent of the official MGAs (Menzione Geografica Aggiuntiva) in 2007.
The Ceretto Dynasty
Ceretto is living proof that small is not always better. This landmark Piedmont estate, based in Alba, produces close to a million bottles a year of good to outstanding wines across a large range of varieties and styles. Thanks to brothers Bruno and Marcello Ceretto, a dynamic duo who complemented each other magnificently (Marcello a talented winemaker, and Bruno a tireless world traveler and promoter not just of Ceretto but, to the family’s credit, of all the gastronomic treasures of the Langhe), Ceretto was one of the first Langhe wineries to gain worldwide renown at a time, in the ’70s and early ’80s, when Barolo and Barbaresco were hardly the success stories (outside of Italy, at least) that they are today.
Recently, a new generation of sibling duos at Ceretto has followed in those big footsteps and is now at the helm: Marcello’s children Alessandro (now Ceretto’s chief winemaker) and Lisa (who directs the financial side of the business) and Bruno’s children Federico (the export manager, who if at all possible is even more indefatigable in his travels than Bruno) and Roberta (in charge of marketing as well as being a gifted public speaker). The family has also distinguished itself by building a portfolio of imported wines crammed with prestigious names, including French stars as Domaine Etienne Sauzet, Domaine Jacques Prieur, Champagne Salon and many more, as well as through its collaborations with the likes of Sol LeWitt and I.M. Pei, respectively the artist and architect responsible for the frescoes in the chapel at La Morra and the glass cube structure in the vineyards at Castiglione Falletto. As the Cerettos apparently felt that they weren’t accomplishing enough in their free time, they have also opened two very different but equally popular restaurants in downtown Alba: a fine osteria called La Piola, and the multi-award-winning restaurant Piazza Duomo. With Ceretto, it’s just a matter of waiting for the next big project to be announced.
Alessandro and Federico Ceretto
