Barolo DOCG 2015 Ceretto

The Ceretto 2015 Barolo is a great wine to pair with fassona, the famous beef from this region, or any other typical Piedmontese meat dish. This is the so-called base Barolo, or classico, that is designed to be an expression of the Nebbiolo grape more than any single-vineyard cru. The wine is satiny and silky with fine texture. Producers hate this "base" descriptor, because it implies an inferior product to a cru. Don't be misled: This is a Barolo-lover's Barolo. It's a true gem and an extremely elegant creation, and with 54,000 bottles produced, there is enough to go around.

I write this introduction now that a few weeks have passed since I tasted and reviewed these samples from Ceretto. With the benefit of that distance in time, I can say that no set of wines in this entire article on Barolo and Barbaresco has made a stronger impact on me than these. I am awestruck by the extreme quality, grace and elegance presented here. I have no doubt that this is the strongest set of new Ceretto wines I have ever had the privilege to taste. I notice that all the wines are united by an extreme level of silkiness and spot-on tannic management. It is truly something exceptional. Among these new vintages, we also have a new member of the family. Ceretto debuts its 2015 Barolo Bussia from Monforte d'Alba, now adding a wine from a fifth important township in the Barolo appellation. They already produce Barolos from Bricco Rocche in Castiglione Falletto, Cannubi San Lorenzo in Barolo, Brunate in La Morra and Prapò in Serralunga d'Alba. It's hard to choose a favorite, and all these wines—even the Prapò from heavier soils—deliver that extreme silkiness that caught my eye and won my heart.

A very pretty wine in its peer group, Ceretto's 2015 Barolo is pliant, open-knit and quite pretty, and yet it appears to have a good bit of supporting structure as well. Floral overtones and bright red berry fruit open up in this super-expressive, silky, entry-level Barolo from Ceretto. The balance of fruit and structure is impressive, but more than anything else, the 2015 is simply delicious.