Giovanni Rosso Barolo Cerretta 2020

Giovanni Rosso is based in Serralunga d'Alba, one of the most highly regarded communes of the Barolo zone in Piedmont, where the Rosso family have farmed cru vineyards for around a century. Cerretta is a single vineyard within Serralunga, and the wine is made entirely from Nebbiolo, the late-ripening grape that defines Barolo. Serralunga's soils are an older, more compact mix of limestone, clay and sandstone marl that tends to produce structured, long-lived, savoury wines. The high hillside sites and the wide day-to-night temperature swing give Nebbiolo its high acidity, firm tannins and aromatic lift. The wine is fermented and then aged for around eighteen months in large foudres, where slow oxygen exchange softens the formidable tannins and develops complexity without the heavy spice of small new oak. The farming is organic. It pours a pale garnet, typical of Nebbiolo. The nose is classic Barolo: red cherry, dried rose, tar, liquorice and leather over an earthy base. The palate is full and firmly tannic, with bright acidity, red fruit and a long, savoury, mineral finish that will reward cellaring. Serve at 17 to 18 degrees, decanting well ahead. It calls for braised beef, game and truffle.