Conterno's 2017 Barolo Cerretta offers a classic expression of this Serralunga site. The tannins are just a bit nervy today, which lends a feeling of energy and brightness that is palpable. Bright floral and white pepper accents lift bright red-toned fruit in a Barolo that is wonderfully translucent and nuanced.

Thanks to altitude and heavier soils, Cerretta performs well in hot vintages, such as 2017, 2015 and 2011. The vines (planted a quarter century ago) sit at about 400 meters in elevation and water moisture is absorbed by the clay of Serralunga d'Alba. These conditions help to shape the wine's important tannins and elegant structure. Ultimately however, I found the 2017 Barolo Cerretta to be very much identified by its birth year. The wine offers a long interlude of intense brightness with sweet cherry, fragolino and wild rose, which soften any angular or hard edges put forth by the Nebbiolo grape. This 2017 vintage is exceedingly smooth and silky in character with a pliant or yielding quality that should serve it nicely as the wine completes its aging trajectory. ML