Cerretta: power and minerality from Serralunga d’Alba
The Cerretta MGAis one of the renowned vineyard areas of Serralunga d’Alba. Barolo from Serralunga is traditionally known for its structure, tannins, minerality, and great aging potential.
Azelia’s Cerretta is a particularly fine example of this. The winery describes the style itself as a combination of the energy of Serralunga with grace and power: dark cherries, wild berries, and plums are combined with notes of menthol, sage, and salinity.
It is precisely this last point that is characteristic of this wine. Cerretta is not just powerful; beneath the dark fruit lies a clear mineral and savory tension that prevents the wine from feeling heavy.
A vineyard with a special story
The story of Azelia and Cerretta began in 1992. Luigi Scavino and his father Lorenzo were impressed by a 2.5-hectare plot with a magnificent southern and southwestern exposure in the heart of Serralunga d’Alba.
At the time, the vineyard was not for sale. The family therefore decided to lease it and took a remarkable risk: they uprooted and replanted the entire plot, renewed the posts and wiring, thoroughly worked the soil, and installed drainage – even though they weren't even sure if they would ever be able to purchase the land.
Only in 2004, twelve years later, did Luigi Scavino manage to actually acquire the plot.
For the new planting, Luigi and Lorenzo did not use random purchased plant material. They personally selected cuttings from the best Nebbiolo vines from their famous Bricco Fiascovineyard in Castiglione Falletto and propagated them via selezione massale, or massal selection.
That makes Cerretta, in a sense, a combination of two terroirs: genetic plant material originating from Bricco Fiasco, but entirely shaped by the soil and climate of Serralunga d’Alba.
Why did it take so long for Cerretta to become its own Barolo?
Luigi Scavino had wanted to bottle Cerretta as a separate cru much earlier, but felt the young vines were not mature enough for it yet.
For nearly thirty years, the Cerretta grapes therefore disappeared into the blend for Azelia’s regular Barolo. Only when the vineyard had reached sufficient age did the family feel the terroir was ready to speak for itself.
The first individual Barolo Cerretta was released in 2020, on the occasion of Azelia's centenary. This was the 2016 vintage.
That says a lot about Azelia’s philosophy: not bringing a new cru to market as quickly as possible, but waiting nearly three decades until the vines were sufficiently mature in the family's view.
Vineyard, location, and soil
Azelia’s Cerretta vineyard lies entirely in Serralunga d’Albaand covers an area of approximately 2.5 hectares.
The orientation is south to southwest, at approximately 355 meters above sea level. The vines are trained using the traditional Guyot system and planted at a density of about 4,500 vines per hectare. Azelia currently states an average age of about 30–35 years.
The soil consists mainly of clay and limestone. Furthermore, red clay is found in some parts of Cerretta, which is relatively unusual within Barolo. These soils produce Nebbiolo with plenty of structure, minerality, and tannins.
The clay can retain moisture, which is especially important in an extremely dry year like 2022. At the same time, the limestone-rich character provides tension and freshness.
Aromas and flavors of the Cerretta 2022
The Azelia Barolo Cerretta 2022has a clear Serralunga profile, without becoming heavy.
The nose reveals black cherry, dark forest fruits, and plum, followed by roses and dark floral notes. Then emerge spicy aromas of cloves, nutmeg, sage, and menthol, along with citrus, dried flowers, and a savory, mineral touch.
A recent tasting note from WinesCritic for the 2022 specifically mentions black cherry, clove, nutmeg, elderflower, citrus, and hibiscus, with a medium to full structure and clearly present tannins.
On the palate, the wine is concentrated and structured. The tannins are firm – typical of Serralunga – but the ripe fruit and fresh acidity keep the wine in balance.
As the wine sits in the glass, the characteristic saline and iron-like mineral notesof Cerretta emerge. This gives the wine great tension and length.
The 2022 vintage
2022 was a particularly challenging year for Barolo.The winter was dry, and there was exceptionally little rain during the spring and summer. Moreover, the summer was long and hot.
Nebbiolo, however, proved surprisingly resilient to these conditions. Vineyards on soils capable of retaining sufficient moisture – such as the clay-rich parts of Serralunga – had an advantage.
The heat and drought resulted in small berries and relatively low yields. Consequently, the skin-to-juice ratio was high, offering potential for high concentrations of color, aroma, and tannin components.
An important difference from 2021 is that 2022 was harvested much earlier. By the beginning of October, the regional Barolo harvest was largely completed. Various producers began picking Nebbiolo around or shortly after September 20.
When was the Cerretta 2022 picked?
Given the exceptionally early progression of 2022, the Nebbiolo in Barolo was mainly harvested in the second half of September through to early October at the latest.
Interestingly, Serralunga is among the areas that performed relatively strongly in 2022. Decanter mentions Serralunga along with Castiglione Falletto as one of the areas where the results were remarkably good despite the difficult season.
Winemaking process
Azelia harvests all grapes by hand. The bunches are transported to the cellar in small ventilated crates to prevent damage and oxidation. There, a secondary manual selection takes place before the grapes are destemmed and partially crushed.
Alcoholic fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts, without the addition of selected yeasts or enzymes.
For the Cerretta, Azelia’s technical information notes a maceration of approximately 30 to 35 days, with the traditional cappello sommerso, or submerged cap, at about 31°C.
With this traditional method, the grape skins are kept below the wine surface after fermentation. As a result, color, tannins, and aromas are extracted from the skins very slowly and evenly.
On their general cellar page, Azelia describes that the maceration of the Barolos can be extended even further, depending on the vintage. The philosophy remains the same: long, gentle extraction without aggressive mechanical intervention.
Aging: large wood, no barrique-style
After vinification, the Barolo Cerretta ages for approximately 30 months in large wooden casks.
That is important for Azelia’s style. The wood should not make the wine taste of vanilla, toast, or sweet spices, but primarily provide sufficient oxygen exchange to allow the Nebbiolo to develop slowly.
Azelia traditionally uses large casks from various European origins. This ensures that the focus remains on Nebbiolo, vineyard, and terroir, not on the wood.
The average production is particularly small: only about 3,600 standard bottles, supplemented by approximately 340 magnums and 50 double magnums.
This makes Cerretta one of the more limited Barolo bottlings within the Azelia range.
Drink now or cellar?
The Cerretta 2022can be tasted young, but is clearly built for further development.
The tannins are still firm, and the various aromas will integrate better over the coming years. WinesCritic advises drinking the wine from approximately 2028.
Those who open the wine earlier would do well to decant it at least two to three hours in advanceand serve it in a large Nebbiolo or Burgundy glass.
With further bottle aging, the black cherry and plum will gradually be supplemented by aromas of dried roses, tobacco, leather, tar, truffle, herbs, and forest floor.
We advise a practical drinking window of 2028–2042+. The exact development, of course, remains dependent on storage conditions and personal preference.
Food pairings
The power and tannins of the Cerretta call for dishes with sufficient structure and savoriness. This Barolo pairs excellently with:
- Brasato al Barolo
- slow-braised beef
- venison, roe deer, or wild boar
- rack of lamb with rosemary
- ossobuco
- tajarin or pappardelle with a hearty ragù
- porcini risotto
- dishes with black or white truffle
- aged Parmigiano Reggiano
- Castelmagno or aged pecorino
The combination of tannins, acidity, and savory minerality makes the wine particularly beautiful with slow-cooked meats, mushrooms, and umami-rich dishes.
Serve preferably at 17–18°C.
Why this Cerretta within the Azelia range?
For customers comparing different Azelia Barolos, Cerretta has a clearly distinct character.
Where Bricco Fiascooften shows more finesse and aromatic refinement from Castiglione Falletto, Cerretta clearly represents the more powerful side of Serralunga d’Alba.
Among Azelia’s Serralunga wines, Cerretta combines dark fruit and powerful tannins with a striking saline minerality and fresh energy. This makes the wine feel powerful, but not heavy.
And that is precisely what makes this cru interesting: not just concentration, but also tension and terroir expression.
Brief summary
The Azelia Barolo Cerretta 2022is a powerful cru Barolo from Serralunga d’Alba, sourced from 2.5 hectares of Nebbiolo on limestone and clay-rich soil. The vineyard was replanted in 1992 using a massal selection of Azelia’s own Bricco Fiasco vines and was only bottled separately as a cru after nearly thirty years of vine maturation.
In the glass, the 2022 combines black cherry, forest fruit, and plum with roses, spices, menthol, and a distinct saline minerality. Firm tannins, fresh acidity, and 30 months of aging in large wood give the wine structure and excellent aging potential.
An excellent choice for the Barolo lover seeking the power of Serralunga, while also desiring freshness, minerality, and finesse.
