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 Vintage1978 Label 1 of 46 
TypeRed
ProducerAzienda Bricco Rocche (Ceretto) (web)
VarietyNebbiolo
Designationn/a
VineyardPrapò
CountryItaly
RegionPiedmont
SubRegionLanghe
AppellationBarolo

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 1988 and 2000 (based on 126 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Ceretto Barolo Prapo on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 95 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 7 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by parkline_wine on 1/8/2022 flawed bottle: Rolled the dice on this. The color was really really light. I wanted to love this as I adore aged Barolo.

It just didn’t have it left in the tank. The nose was promising for a minute - I detected some faint fruits and smoke - but the palate did not live up to that hope.

As someone who takes chances on old bottles - this is part of the game ! (492 views)
 Tasted by David Paris (dbp) on 8/8/2015 & rated 92 points: The goal: Traditionally produced profound Barolo in classic vintages (My House (Portland, OR)): Soft, dusty aromas are experienced on the nose, along with some sweet bell pepper aroma. The aromas had me slightly worried, but the palate was quite lovely, showing tons of pure, pretty fruit. Texture was quite soft and the flavors were tart, soft and ripe. Mellow acid and sweet fruit were the primary experiences and this was quite together structurally. Tons of acid on the tart and rich finish, here too showing some ripe fruit. Quite pretty and harmonious. On day two this wine had fallen apart, as expected. (3298 views)
 Tasted by subtlet on 8/8/2015: Barolo from Traditional Producers (Portland, OR): Age is showing fully in this glass, with aromas of steak and seasoned salt rising and blending with touches of chocolate and blackberries. The seasoned steak shows on the palate as well, followed by a wash of mineral character. The blackberries from the nose show up on the mid palate, and they linger nicely with the savory flavors. The tannins are well rounded, and have a touch of dusty character that works well with the savory elements mentioned earlier. (3523 views)
 Tasted by t.c.green on 4/26/2014 & rated 98 points: Almost youthful needing 1 hour to breathe to open up, soft well balanced with early full flavor and a long late palate (2956 views)
 Tasted by bill00 on 12/24/2013 & rated 96 points: This was flat-out terrific. Decanted for about 3 hours and was still improving to the last sip another 3 hours after that. Perfectly mature and classic aromas of mushroom and dark earth. Palate was silky smooth - tannins are fully resolved. A great old Barolo. (3135 views)
 Tasted by SteveHyde on 4/7/2013 & rated 95 points: A beautiful, fully mature Barolo. I don't know why this wine isn't considered to rate alongside the best of the 78s, because to my mind, it can hold its own with the very top of the top tier. (3056 views)
 Tasted by matter_mitch on 9/6/2011 & rated 94 points: Fantastic old Barolo, Tar, earth on the nose with cranberry and cherry fruits. Flavors backed up the nose. evolved and changed for the better as it sat in the glass over an hour. Tannin's were nicely resolved and the acidity carried the super long finish. Great bottle! (2113 views)

Professional 'Channels'
By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, Nov/Dec 2013, Issue #48, Recently Tasted Mature Piemonte Gems: The 1990 Vintage Back to 1961
(Barolo “Prapó”- Ceretto) Login and sign up and see review text.
By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Vintage Retrospective: The 1978 Barolos and Barbarescos (Jan 2006)
(Ceretto Bricco Rocche Barolo Prapò) Subscribe to see review text.
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of View From the Cellar and Vinous. (manage subscription channels)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Azienda Bricco Rocche (Ceretto)

Producer Website
Source: VinConnect (VinConnect.com)

The Ceretto winery has made a name for itself as one of Piedmont’s most enterprising innovators. Not only do they produce great wines that elegantly express the Langhe and Roero regions, but their reach extends to contemporary art, gastronomy, culture, and tourism. Yet before these roles, Ceretto was known for being one of the first to understand the greatness of the crus that create exceptional wines like Barolo and Barbaresco.

Riccardo Ceretto bought vineyards in Piedmont in the 1930s, but it was his sons Bruno and Marcello who realized the land’s potential and expanded the family holdings. In the 1960s, his sons (known as the “Barolo Brothers”) bought select parcels of land that have come to be recognized as among the most prestigious vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco, such as Cannubi and Bricco Rocche.

Ceretto wines are known for their authentic expressions of the nuances of terroir. The family is famous for their top-rated single-vineyard (“cru”) Barolo and Barbaresco wines, such as Barolo Bricco Rocche, Barolo Prapò, Barolo Brunate, Barolo Cannubi San Lorenzo, Barbaresco Bernardot, and Barbaresco Asili. They were one of the first in Piedmont to adapt new winemaking technologies starting in the 1970s, such as using stainless steel fermentation tanks and regulated temperature control. Ceretto also crafts excellent bottlings of other reds, whites, and dessert wines. In fact, the Barolo brothers proved to be intuitive once again when they began producing a charming white in a land famous for its reds: the Langhe DOC Arneis Blangé, which has proven to be widely successful, surprising many.

The third generation of the Ceretto legacy proves the winery’s longevity and the family’s entrepreneurial spirit. Bruno’s children Roberta and Federico, and Marcello’s children Lisa and Alessandro not only continue the family name of producing top-quality wines known worldwide, but they excel in marketing and business development that extend the winery’s influence. In the past 20 years, they have initiated several projects that show both their passion for making wine, and their appreciation for fine food, art and architecture.

For example, in 2005, together with chef Enrico Crippa they launched Piedmont’s most ambitious restaurant ever (Piazza Duomo), which was eventually awarded three Michelin stars in less than 7 years. Among their contemporary art initiatives, they renovated a small chapel in their vineyards that was fancifully painted in bold colors by world-renowned artists David Tremlett and Sol LeWitt. And in architecture, they commissioned some of Barolo region’s most stunning, well-known architectural landmarks such as the glass Cube in the vineyard at Bricco Rocche and the giant, futuristic Acino (“grape”) at the Monsordo estate just outside Alba, where visitors are welcomed for tasting and tours seven days a week.

Nebbiolo

Nebbiolo is a red grape indigenous to the Piedmont region of Italy in the Northwest. The grape can also be found in other parts of the world, though they are not as respected.

Nebbiolo is often considered the "king of red wines," as it is the grape of the famed wines of Barolo DOCG, Barbaresco DOCG, and Roero DOCG. It is known for high tannins and acidity, but with a distinct finesse. When grown on clay, Nebbiolo can be very powerful, tannic, and require long aging periods to reach its full potential. When grown on sand, the grape exhibits a more approachable body with more elegant fruit and less tannins, but still has high aging potential.

"Nebbiolo" is named for the Italian word, "nebbia", which means "fog", in Italian and rightfully so since there is generally a lot of fog in the foothills of Piedmont during harvest.

Nebbiolo is a late-ripening variety that does best in a continental climate that boasts moderate summers and long autumns. In Piedmont, Nebbiolo is normally harvested in October.

More links:
Varietal character (Appellation America) | Nebbiolo on CellarTracker

Prapò

Prapò is a 8.33 ha. vineyard/ 5.52 Barolo MGA of the Serralunga d’Alba municipality. On weinlagen-info

Italy

Italian Wines (ItalianMade.com, The Italian Trade Commission) | Italian Wine Guide on the WineDoctor

Piedmont

Vignaioli Piemontesi (Italian only)
On weinlagen-info

Langhe

Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero | Union of Producers of Albese Wines (Albeisa)

Barolo

Regional History:
The wines of Piedmont are noted as far back as Pliny's Natural History. Due to geographic and political isolation, Piedmont was without a natural port for most of its history, which made exportation treacherous and expensive. This left the Piedmontese with little incentive to expand production. Sixteenth-century records show a mere 14% of the Bassa Langa under vine -- most of that low-lying and farmed polyculturally. In the nineteenth century the Marchesa Falletti, a frenchwoman by birth, brought eonologist Louis Oudart from Champagne to create the first dry wines in Piemonte. Along with work in experimental vineyards at Castello Grinzane conducted by Camilo Cavour -- later Conte di Cavour, leader of the Risorgimento and first Prime Minister of Italy -- this was the birth of modern wine in the Piedmont. At the heart of the region and her reputation are Alba and the Langhe Hills. This series of weathered outcroppings south of the Tanaro River is of maritime origin and composed mainly of limestone, sand and clay, known as terra bianca. In these soils -located mainly around the towns of Barolo and Barbaresco -- the ancient allobrogica, now Nebbiolo, achieves its renowned fineness and power.

map of Barolo DOCG

An interesting thread on Traditional vs. Modern Barolo producers:
https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=106291

 
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