98+
Monica Larner - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
These back-to-back vintages, 2015 and 2016, deliver knockout performances. The Ceretto 2016 Barolo Bricco Rocche has always been one of the benchmark wines in this revered portfolio. It offers a lovely bouquet that explores some of the more nuanced sides of Nebbiolo that veer into the realms of rose, ash, tar and smoke. These pretty little details frame a solid core of berry fruit, cassis and dried cherry. One of the most distinctive aspects of this wine is the mouthfeel, which manages to impart its power and length without subtracting from its profound elegance. Fruit comes from a 1.5-hectare site owned by the Ceretto family, with sandstone soils at 350 to 370 meters above sea level. This is a Barolo to remember—and save in your cellar.
96+ Antonio Galloni - Vinous
Ceretto's 2016 Bricco Roche is creamy, ample and wonderfully inviting, especially for a young wine. Silky tannins and plush fruit meld so well with the wine's mid-weight structure. Sweet rose petal, red berry, mint, blood orange and cedar are some of the many notes that open up with a bit of air. The 2016 captures all the elegance and finesse that are such signatures of this Castilgione Falletto site.
This Castiglione Falletto vineyard is the smallest geographic area within the Barolo specification and comprises just over 1 hectare. It is the most prestigious part of what was once called La Serra and is nestled between the Villero and the Rocche (rock face) of Castiglione, which represents the best of the top parts; it can be considered a monopole as the whole parcel is the exclusive property of the Ceretto family.
The height of the vineyard is optimum, going from 350 to 370 meters above sea level, with southeast to southwest exposure. The earth (sandstone of Diano) reinforce the ideal sense of balance, suggested the geographic location, and see good percentages of sand, silt and clay.
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