Vinous Media 97
"The 2019 Barolo Cerretta is packed with dark cherry, smoke, gravel, blood orange incense, scorched earth, licorice and mocha. This ample, full-bodied Barolo offers tremendous depth and textural intensity. Powerful and brooding, with tons of muscle and tannin, the Cerretta is incredibly promising. It is the most potent wine in this portfolio, by a pretty substantial range." ~ AG

Compared to the cru of Baudana, Cerretta is much better known, as it is a fairly large cru (by Serralunga standards) with many producers. The Vairas farm 0.77ha, facing SW, in the subsection of Cerretta known as Cerretta Piani. This is the coolest microclimate in the cru, with gentle slopes. The soil is the classic Formazione di Lequio, a thin layer of poor, white topsoil. But, unique to Cerretta Piani, this sits over a substrate of more evolved, iron-rich reddish marls.

Vines for the Barolo Cerretta were planted in 1970. Fermentation, which for Cerretta often starts quite slowly, is in open-top wood vats, lasting around 20-30 days with manual punchdowns. Depending on the vintage, up to 5% whole clusters could be used, fairly rare for Nebbiolo. After fermentation, macerations continue cappello sommerso for an additional 20-35 days. Aging is for around 32 months in neutral Slavonian oak botti, followed by at least 8 months of bottle aging. Unfined/unfiltered. 4,000 bottles made.