Ceretto BAROLO BRUNATE 2018
- js96
- wa96
- spw95
- we94
- ws94
Tasting notes
The Barolo Brunate is a powerful, muscular wine that is going to need a number of years to come around. Sinewy tannins enshroud a core of deep fruit as this heady, layered Barolo gradually opens in the glass. Orange peel, star anise, mint, pine and dried flowers add striking aromatic complexity, but it is the wine's staying power and overall structure that leave the deepest impression. The 2015 Brunate is shaping up to be stellar. That's pretty much all there is to it. Pair this wine with deli meats, red meat, white meat, poultry, mushroom, cheese or Filet de boeuf.
Description
It is one of the most representative vineyards of the Commune of La Morra and has always been considered one of points of reference for the entire appellation. It is an inter-commune vineyard, the plot (good size, comprising a total of 28 hectares) is shared, from an administrative point of view, between the towns of Barolo and La Morra. As regards the soil profile, the two sides of the two Communes are not particularly different, and even the exposure (South / Southeast) is substantially homogeneous; the only variable the altitude: in fact, it ranges from 230 meters above sea level to more than 400 meters. The soils, from the Tortonian period, feature marle of S. Agata Fossils, with a good presence of sand, particularly in the highest part of the hill. The Ceretto family owns, in Brunate, just over five and a half hectares.
Estate
For three generations members of the Ceretto family have transformed the fruit of the Langhe’s vineyards into wines that speak of the regions identity. The famed Italian gastronome and intellectual Luigi Veronelli wrote, "The land, the land, the land, the land, always, the land." This philosophy is central to the Ceretto family. Reverence for this land has passed from Riccardo, who blended fruit from the region’s best vineyards, to Bruno and Marcello, who purchased Langhe vineyards and began bottling single crus, and finally to Alessandro, who is taking the winery into the 21st century by using natural methods to foster vines that are stronger, healthier, and more in balance with their environment. The Ceretto family has always been committed to producing the most expressive and authentic wines their land can yield.
James Suckling
- js96
Very attractive red cherries and berries with plenty of sweetly fragrant spice and warm stones. This offers exceptional power and rich, ripe fruit on the palate. Really balanced and succulent with seamlessly arranged tannins. So good.
Wine Advocate
- wa96
The 2015 Barolo Brunate is yet another silky and fine red wine with perhaps a tiny bit more structure and firmness at the back than the other single-vineyard offerings from Ceretto. It is beautifully accessible and oh so fine and elegant. The wine is aged in 300-liter French oak (with 10% new oak) for 12 months, followed by 24 months in Austrian oak casks. I absolutely love this wine. It's a cru that will impress at any wine-tasting party, or I can picture it at dinner with a deliciously rare steak au poivre.
Station Plaza Wine
- spw95
Wine Enthusiast
- we94
Rose, blue flower and woodland berry aromas mingle with aromatic herb and pipe tobacco notes. The elegant, focused palate shows Marasca cherry, cranberry, licorice and hints of baking spice alongside fine-grained tannins. It's balanced, with fresh acidity. Drink 2022-2030.
Wine Spectator
- ws94
Plump and juicy, sporting plum, cherry, woodsy and vanilla flavors. Elegant, with firm, well-integrated tannins and a long, spice-infused aftertaste. This harmonious version should come around soon.