California in the Langhe

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MarkS

Mark Svereika
Giacomo Conterno, Barbera d'Alba, 'Ceretta', 2009
15% alcohol, and it shows. Blueberry and blackberry syrup. Unctuous, thick and extracted. A Parkerism - creosote - works pretty well here. This feels overwrought and expensive for what is a pizza wine. Feels very New World. The second day, shows a little better, but still, this is a BIG wine.
 
originally posted by MarkS:
California in the LangheGiacomo Conterno, Barbera d'Alba, 'Ceretta', 2009
15% alcohol, and it shows. Blueberry and blackberry syrup. Unctuous, thick and extracted. A Parkerism - creosote - works pretty well here. This feels overwrought and expensive for what is a pizza wine. Feels very New World. The second day, shows a little better, but still, this is a BIG wine.
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I'm just starting to explore Piemonte - this a departure from the expected style for Conterno, yes?
 
How does the Ceretta differ from the Cascina Francia, stylistically. I have never had the Ceretta, but have loved the Cascina Francia...
 
originally posted by Greg Hirson:
originally posted by MarkS:
California in the LangheGiacomo Conterno, Barbera d'Alba, 'Ceretta', 2009
15% alcohol, and it shows. Blueberry and blackberry syrup. Unctuous, thick and extracted. A Parkerism - creosote - works pretty well here. This feels overwrought and expensive for what is a pizza wine. Feels very New World. The second day, shows a little better, but still, this is a BIG wine.
Click to expand...

I'm just starting to explore Piemonte - this a departure from the expected style for Conterno, yes?
Click to expand...

I am pretty sure the vintage didn't help, and I think the Cerretta shows differently than the Cascina Francia.
 
originally posted by scottreiner:
How does the Ceretta differ from the Cascina Francia, stylistically. I have never had the Ceretta, but have loved the Cascina Francia...
Click to expand...

Good question, I've never had them side-by-side, but I think it shows riper and less structured.
 
Here are some tidbits I wrote on my blog about G. Conterno Cerretta Barbera (and Nebbiolo) after visiting the winery a couple of times and trying wines from botte and also from bottle.

The 2010 vintage continues to be my favorite for Cerretta, in both Barbera and Nebbiolo. In fact, the 2010s are extremely strong at G. Conterno across the board, and they may well prove to be some of the finest wines produced from the region in that excellent and impressive year. Interestingly, this 2010 Barbera from Cerretta was at the same alcohol level as the 2009 Cerretta Barbera, which is something I wouldn't have expected.

There was a side by side of the Barberas from 2011. Roberto feels that the 2011 Cerretta Barbera has some similarities to the 2009 Cerretta Barbera. The Cascina Francia, in my own estimation, had a more mineral tinged aspect than either.

Interestingly, although the 2009 Cerretta Nebbiolo had already been bottled, the 2009 Cascina Francia Nebbiolo has not been. The 2009 Cascina Francia Nebbiolo, if I understood correctly, will be in wood for a year longer than the Cerretta Nebbiolo 2009 was. Roberto said that he did not want to dry out the fruit of the Cerretta with more time in wood.

Roberto told us a bit about the differences between Cerretta and Cascina Francia. He said that Cerretta gives more fruit and tannins, while Cascina Francia shows more minerality. He said that for Cascina Francia he prefers the 2008 vintage (which I tried during our visit and really liked) to the 2009 vintage, as the 2008 vintage is more complete of a wine and he in fact adores it, but that for Cerretta he preferred 2009. He also talked a bit about his decision making regarding whether his Nebbiolo from Cerretta should be labelled as Barolo, as it well could be. Up to now he has declined to do this, because he has been hesitant to say that the wine is at the level of a Giacomo Conterno Barolo, but for the 2010 vintage he will probably do so. Roberto said that in his opinion the 2011 vintage would be the real test of Cerretta in terms of its suitability for the "Barolo" label, because it was a difficult vintage in general.
 
The soil in the part of Ceretta that Conterno bought is different from the soil in the rest of the cru. It will be interesting to see if he bottles the wine as Barolo.
 
The 2010 Cerretta Nebbiolo from Giacomo Conterno will be bottled as Barolo in magnum format. It will only be available in magnums. I do not know about what decisions may have been made about 2011 at this point.

I'd be curious to hear more from you about the soil type differences in the cru.
 
I walked past the vineyard with Sergio Germano, my producer whose house is in Cerretta and who has part of both Cerretta and Prapò, and he mentioned that it was different from the rest of the cru; as I recall, you could see the difference, too, the soil was a different color. The one Cerretta Nebbiolo I had from Conterno didn't impress me, but that was just one example and of course Conterno is a great producer.
 
originally posted by Oliver McCrum:
I walked past the vineyard with Sergio Germano, my producer whose house is in Ceretta and who has part of both Ceretta and Prapò, and he mentioned that it was different from the rest of the cru; as I recall, you could see the difference, too, the soil was a different color. The one Ceretta Nebbiolo I had from Conterno didn't impress me, but that was just one example and of course Conterno is a great producer.
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There is the Cerretta / Bricco Cerretta difference. I wonder if this is related to that.
 
originally posted by scottreiner:
How does the Ceretta differ from the Cascina Francia, stylistically. I have never had the Ceretta, but have loved the Cascina Francia...
Click to expand...

Same alcohol level, roughly.
 
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