Pale straw color; apple, grapefruit, pear, peach, Meyer lemon, minerality, almonds, honey, herbs, white flowers on the nose and palate.
Dry to off-dry; no tannins, soft acidity. Light-plus body. Pleasing, delicate texture. Crisp, clean, fresh. Very slight bubbles on the first pour, still after that. Picks up some faint sweetness, honey in the mid palate. Lovely wine. 13% ABV
Arneis is a white grape primarily grown in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Once nearly extinct, it has made a solid comeback as a delicate, refined white varietal. The grapes history dates back to the 15th century, but it fell out of favor in the 1960s and 1970s and was replaced by the classic Piedmont red grape, nebbiolo, to make Barolo and Barbaresco wines. The name “arneis” translates to “little rascal” in the local Piedmont dialect, a reference to various difficulties that can be encountered growing the grape. It often was planted alongside nebbiolo vines to distract birds from the more valuable red grapes.
The Ceretto family found an old farmstead on the outskirts of Alba in the late 1980s. They gradually transformed it into a main office. The estate is known as Monsordo Bernardina and is historically linked to a love story between Vittorio Emanuele II and the beautiful Rosina. The website notes: “Within a few years [the estate] became the main hub of the company, here we carry out not only the activities associated with the production and refinement of some of the most important wine labels, but also the administrative and commercial activities, offices and warehouse. There are more than 30 hectares of vineyards that surround the farmstead, both traditional and international varieties, all grown under strong principles of environmental sustainability.”
Ceretto Blange Langhe DOC Arneis 2022 is a light, aromatic wine from the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Delicate, very easy drinker from a grape that requires significant attention to get right, but is delightful when done correctly. Ceretto succeeds with this tasty effort. Pair with seafood risotto, corn risotto; seared scallops with citrus butter sauce; lighter fish; shrimp. Caesar salad; slight summer salads; roasted vegetables. Roast chicken dishes. Pasta with pistachio pesto. Regional Piedmontese cuisine. Cheese—soft and fresh cheeses do very well; robiola, crescenza; toma piemontese, fontina. $23-25