Piedmont In A Glass

The Age

Saturday March 22, 2008

Jane Faulkner

In Alba, the delightful small town in the heart of Italy's Piedmont, a region famed for its nebbiolo wine and white truffles, you're bound to walk through the Piazza del Duomo, with its ancient church and pathways. But the place that is much more captivating is Piazza Duomo - one of Italy's top restaurants. The 17th-century two-storey building has two restaurants - La Piola on the ground floor, with a focus on traditional food and wine from the Langhe and Roero regions, and upstairs the fine-dining Piazza Duomo is headed by talented executive chef Enrico Crippa. His attention to detail and ease in balancing flavours makes a reservation at this small place highly prized. Nebbiolo and white truffles are one of life's sublime gastronomic experiences - definitely one for the try-before-you-die list - and Crippa's truffle degustation menu is a revelation. The joy of savouring a few wafer-thin slices of truffle served with some tajarin, a local pasta, while sipping a top barbaresco or barolo, will stay with you forever. Federico Ceretto understands this gustatory scenario perfectly. He's a third-generation member of a successful winemaking family, founded by his grandfather in the 1930s and based in Alba. Also, Piazza Duomo is owned by the Cerettos. These gustatory musings aren't coming from there, however, but from Carlton's Enoteca Sileno. Ceretto, who handles the export side of the family business, was here recently to host a dinner and wine masterclass. The importance of heritage is not lost on him - his father Bruno and uncle Marcello built up the company, which includes more than 120 hectares of prized land in the Langhe and Roero areas - but the next generation wants to diversify. Hence the Piazza Duomo restaurant.

From the nebbiolo grape, indigenous to Piedmont, Ceretto produces a few top wines - barolo Bricco Rocche and Brunate and barbaresco Asili, and only in small quantities, the quality of which has improved enormously over the years. Ceretto prides itself on nebbiolo but other varieties and styles have become highlights, particularly arneis, also native to Piedmont. "This is the wine that made my family very famous," says Federico Ceretto. "We produced the first modern white and I would say this is the most requested white wine in Italy."

Arneis is a low-acid variety with a delicate bouquet; it's a simple wine that doesn't achieve the complex heights of, say, a riesling or chardonnay, but it's so easy to drink. The Ceretto empire also has a distillery producing fine grappa and the excellent chinato, a herbal-infused barolo that's sipped as a digestive. Moscato, a sparkling wine made from chardonnay and pinot noir, and an international red that's a blend of cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, merlot, pinot noir and nebbiolo, is also made. The Ceretto range also includes a riesling.

But perhaps the most exciting news from the company portfolio is another acquisition, a small vineyard in Cannubi, an area known for beautiful barolo. It'll be fascinating to taste the results.

In the meantime, Ceretto wines are available from Enoteca Sileno in Carlton, the City Wine Shop and Europa Cellars in East Melbourne.

janefaulkner@winematters.com.au -- JANE FAULKNER

CERETTO LA BERNARDINA 1997 BRUT $67

Spending four years on lees has helped turn this into a rich, full-bodied sparkling, loaded with autolysis. There are toasty notes and a slightly broad palate with some oxidative handling offset by plenty of creamy mousse. Ceretto has decided its sparkling days are over and will no longer make this style.

CERETTO BLANGE 2006 $45

This is 100% arneis, a white variety that is easy to drink and best while young - the wine, that is. The bouquet has hints of pear and apple and a touch of acacia blossom, yet it's juicy and soft with attractive fruit sweetness on the palate; very refreshing.

CERETTO BRICCO ASILI BARBARESCO 2004 $284

Let this breathe. Decant into a big glass, swirl, sniff, taste and come back later and it'll reveal its perfumed nose of tar and roses, violets, plus dusty, savoury and ferrous nuances sitting alongside ripe tannins, sweet oak notes and fine acidity. Good length.

© 2008 The Age

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