Cerretta 2022 – the powerful side of Serralunga
Those seeking Barolo from Serralunga d'Albawill eventually encounter Cerretta. It is one of the important historical MGAs of the commune and is known for Barolos with concentration, firm tannins, minerality, and long aging potential.
For Ettore Germano, Cerretta also holds special significance: it is the family's historical home. The winery itself is located amidst the Cerretta vineyards, and this Cru has been the core of the estate for generations.
The style perfectly matches what we expect from Serralunga, but Cerretta also has its own distinct character. Compared to, for example, Prapò, Cerretta generally delivers a fuller, richer, and more powerful Barolo, with more fleshiness and tannin. Prapò is usually a bit tighter and more mineral; Cerretta leans more towards depth, volume, and power.
This makes Cerretta an interesting Cru for the enthusiast who not only drinks Barolo for its perfume but also appreciates structure and long development in the bottle.
The Cerretta vineyard
The Nebbiolo for this wine comes exclusively from the MGA Cerretta in Serralunga d'Alba.
According to Ettore Germano, the vineyards are located at approximately:
- 350–400 meters above sea level
- with a south to southeast exposure
- on soils of clay and limestone
- and the vines have an average age of around 50 years.
The combination of altitude, exposure, and calcareous soil is important. The grapes receive sufficient sun for Nebbiolo to ripen fully, while altitude and nocturnal cooling contribute to the preservation of acidity and aromas.
Cerretta itself is about 40 hectares in size. The soils are considered highly calcareous marls which, in this part of Serralunga, contribute to the characteristic power and longevityof the wines.
When were the vines planted?
Ettore Germano officially states an average age of about 50 years for the current Cerretta. It is important here that these vines are clearly much older than those for the Comune di Serralunga, for which Germano indicates an average age of about 15 years. This difference is reflected in the concentration and depth of the Cru.
Why are old vines particularly important in 2022?
This brings us to an interesting point of this vintage.
2022 was exceptionally hot and dry.The Barolo zone experienced prolonged drought and significantly smaller yields. In such conditions, older vines often have an advantage because their more extensive root systems can access water from deeper soil layers.
The combination of Cerretta's clay-limestone soil and Germano's average 50-year-old Nebbiolo vines is therefore particularly interesting in a dry year like 2022.
Decanter concluded afterwards that the quality within Barolo varied considerably, but that Serralunga d'Alba and Castiglione Falletto were among the strongest communes of the vintage.
This is an important quality argument for Cerretta 2022.
2022 Vintage – against expectations
At the beginning of the harvest, expectations for Barolo 2022 were not particularly high.
The winter was dry, and exceptionally little rainfall occurred during the growing season. High temperatures and water stress led to smaller grapes and lower yields. Depending on location and producer, yields were significantly below normal.
Moreover, Nebbiolo ripened much earlier than in a classic cool Barolo year.
Nevertheless, the results ultimately proved much better than initially feared. Good producers adapted their work in the vineyard: less defoliation, protecting the grapes from direct sunlight, and carefully managing extraction.
The best 2022 Barolos have therefore not become heavy and fatigued, but rather surprisingly fresh, aromatic, and relatively approachable.
And Cerretta?
Cerretta, in particular, has enough natural structure to hold up in such a warm year.
Here, an interesting combination arises:
the power and tannins of Serralunga + the concentration of old vines + the riper, more approachable fruit of 2022.
This makes the wine, in our opinion, more attractive in its youth than Cerretta from a very classic and austere year, while still possessing enough backbone for further development.
Vinification – significantly longer than the Comune
The difference between the Comune di Serralunga and Cerretta also becomes clear in the cellar.
The Nebbiolo is entirely hand-harvestedand brought to the cellar in small crates. After destemming and gentle crushing, alcoholic fermentation takes place in vertical stainless steel tanks.
This is followed by a long maceration of approximately:
40 to 45 days on the skins.
During this period, various rimontaggi– pumping over the must – are performed daily, and occasionally a délestage. This carefully extracts color, aromas, and especially tannins from the Nebbiolo skins.
This is significantly longer than for Germano's Comune di Serralunga, which receives about 20–30 days of skin contact.
This longer maceration aligns with Cerretta's ambition: this is not primarily a Barolo for immediate consumption, but a wine that needs sufficient structure to develop for years.
Aging in wood
After alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, Cerretta goes into medium-sized oak barrels.
Germano uses barrels of different ages and with different prior uses. The aim is not to impart a pronounced new oak flavor to the wine.
The Barolo then ages for approximately:
18 to 24 months in wood, depending on the character of the vintage.
After bottling, at least 12 months of bottle agingfollow before Cerretta is released.
The philosophy is clear: the wood should refine the tannins and help the wine develop, but Cerretta and Nebbiolo must remain recognizable in the glass.
Aroma and taste of Cerretta 2022
Cerretta is darker and more concentrated in character than many more elegant Barolos from, for example, La Morra.
Germano describes the wine with aromas of ripe fruit, followed by subtle notes of vanilla. With bottle aging, increasingly classic Nebbiolo aromas of leather, tobacco, and small dark berriesdevelop.
In young Cerretta, we can also expect red and dark cherry fruit, spices, licorice, and a savory, earthy undertone.
On the palate, the wine starts broad and enveloping. The tannins are emphatically present – this remains, after all, a Cru from Serralunga – but are refined by the long vinification and wood aging.
The finish is long, dry, and persistent.
So, this is not a light, fragile Barolo.
But despite its power, 2022 is also not a clumsy wine. Good acidity and the relatively open fruit of the vintage give Cerretta sufficient freshness and tension.
Excellent ratings for Cerretta 2022
The initial ratings confirm that Ettore Germano performed exceptionally well in the challenging year of 2022.
97/100 – The Real Review
The Real Review even places the Ettore Germano Cerretta 2022 as number 1 out of 170 Nebbiolos from Barolo of the 2022 vintagein its current ranking.
93/100 – Decanter
Decanter also rates Cerretta 2022 with 93 points in its large overview of Barolo 2022.
This is interesting because 2022 is not a vintage where every Cru was automatically successful. The high ratings thus confirm not only the quality of Cerretta but especially the craftsmanship of Sergio Germano and his team in a challenging year.
When to drink?
Cerretta 2022 has a dual character.
The ripe fruit of 2022 makes it more approachable than some classic Cerretta vintages. At the same time, old vines, long maceration, and the natural tannin structure of Serralunga ensure that the wine is clearly built for further development.
Our preference:
2026–2029
Only for lovers of young Barolo. Give it at least two hours of air. You will taste mainly fruit, spices, freshness, and powerful young tannins.
2030–2037
For us, probably the most interesting period. The tannins soften, and fruit, spices, and first tertiary notes begin to harmonize.
2037–2045+
For lovers of aged Barolo. Expect more and more dried flowers, tobacco, leather, forest floor, truffle, and balsamic notes.
The precise lifespan naturally depends on storage conditions.
Serve around 17–18°C.
Wine and food
Due to its structure, Cerretta demands dishes with sufficient flavor and texture.
Wonderful combinations include:
- brasato al Barolo;
- slow-braised beef shank;
- veal cheek;
- ossobuco;
- rack of lamb;
- deer or venison;
- wild boar;
- tajarin with ragù;
- risotto with porcini;
- dishes with white or black truffle;
- aged Parmigiano Reggiano;
- Castelmagno.
Notably, truffle, porcini, and slow-cooked meatsare excellent partners for the earthy and balsamic development of Nebbiolo.
Comune di Serralunga or Cerretta – which to choose?
Since Brunolo carries both wines, this is perhaps the most important question.
Choose Barolo Comune di Serralunga 2022 when:
you are looking for a good introduction to the style of Ettore Germano and Serralunga;
you want to drink the wine relatively young;
you prefer slightly less powerful tannins;
and value for money is more important to you than one specific Cru.
Choose Cerretta 2022 when:
you consciously seek a single-vineyard Cru-Barolo;
you want more concentration and depth;
you appreciate the more powerful side of Serralunga;
you want to cellar the wine for several years;
and you want to experience what average 50-year-old Nebbiolo vines from one important terroir can add.
Cerretta is therefore not simply a more expensive version of the Comune.
It is an essentially different wine.
The Comune shows Serralunga as a commune. Cerretta zooms in on one specific location and much more clearly demonstrates what old vines and an individual MGA can contribute.
And Cerretta versus Prapò?
This comparison is also interesting for enthusiasts who want to delve further into Ettore Germano's range.
Although both vineyards are in Serralunga, their styles are different.
Prapòis generally a bit tighter, more refined, and more mineral.
Cerrettais fuller, more powerful, and fleshier, with more concentration and a broader tannin structure.
Wine writer Ian d'Agata also describes Germano's Cerretta as the larger and more powerful of the two, emphasizing that this difference is primarily due to the terroir and not a different cellar style.
Those primarily seeking elegance and minerality might therefore lean towards Prapò.
Those seeking power, depth, and long developmentwill likely enjoy Cerretta more.
Brunolo's choice
For us, Cerretta 2022 is one of Ettore Germano's most interesting Barolos when price, Cru status, and aging potential are considered together.
The average 50-year-old vines, calcareous and clay soil, long maceration, and traditional wood aging give it significantly more depth than the Comune di Serralunga.
At the same time, 2022 makes the wine more approachable than one might expect from such a powerful Cru.
And the rating of 97 points and number 1 out of 170 Barolo/Nebbiolo 2022 at The Real Reviewmakes it clear that we are not just talking about reputation here: the wine genuinely performed exceptionally well in this challenging vintage.
Our choice for the enthusiast who wants to discover the true power of Serralunga and is willing to give the wine a few years to develop.
