Barbaresco Asili DOCG 2014 Ceretto

The 2014 Barbaresco Asili is a little bashful at first, and it takes some time before it makes its personality known. On first impact, it is timid and nervous, but it becomes much louder and more confident with a little extra time in the glass. The bouquet is redolent of dark fruit, dried cherry, campfire ash and crushed mineral. Ultimately, this is an elegant and graceful wine that will flesh out further as it continues its evolution.

Ceretto farms a total of 130 hectares. The entire property is farmed organically, and 60 hectares are also biodynamic. Ceretto makes wines in both the Barbaresco and the Barolo appellations, and this puts them in a good position to judge the difficult 2014 season from both perspectives. They join in a chorus of voices telling me that 2014 was fine in Barbaresco but considerably more difficult in nearby Barolo. In fact, the Barolo single-vineyard expressions will not be produced in 2014.

A fresh, streamlined version, exhibiting floral, cherry, tar, wild herb and tobacco flavors. Iron and sanguine notes chime in on the dusty finish. This is holding back today, yet there is plenty in reserve. Very elegant. Best from 2021 through 2033. 250 cases made.

Luminous bright red. Perfumed aromas of red cherry, red rose, violet and minerals are complicated by delicate hints of cinnamon and quinine. Dense, juicy and bright in the mouth, with powerful, penetrating red cherry and raspberry flavors boasting a strong mineral underpinning. The finish is silky and long, not to mention strongly perfumed by a very pure repeating note of violet. A knockout Asili of uncommon power. Readers who have had the foresight to stock up are in for a treat. In 2014, Barbaresco had 300 millimeters less rain than Barolo, and that difference really shows in Barbaresco’s surprisingly successful wines.