Roberto Voerzio : Cerequio 2015

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for Roberto Voerzio’s Cerequio 2015

Tasting

Appearance

The color shows an intense garnet hue.

Nose

The nose reveals remarkable aromatic complexity, with notes of wild cherries, violet, and licorice. Nuances of blackcurrant, eucalyptus, and mint gradually emerge, accompanied by hints of floral tones and candied citrus. The overall profile remains concentrated at this youthful stage, promising beautiful development over time.

Palate

On the palate, this wine impresses with its firm structure while retaining delicacy and finesse. Its silky texture wraps around flavors of black cherries, dried flowers, licorice, and anise. The tannins, clearly present and structured, remain elegant and perfectly integrated. The finish stands out for its exceptional length and an unmistakable mineral signature, characteristic of the Cerequio terroir. The balance between power and elegance defines this generous wine, which continues to evolve in the glass.

Food and Wine Pairings

This Barolo Cerequio 2015 pairs beautifully with grilled red meats such as ribeye steak or a rack of beef. It also elevates slow-cooked dishes such as osso buco, roasted veal chops, or a game stew. Mushroom-based dishes—especially porcini or truffle risottos—make perfect regional pairings. Aged cheeses such as mature Parmesan, or fresh pasta stuffed with braised meat and served with butter and sage, offer authentic matches for this great wine from Piedmont.

Serving and Cellaring

This Barolo Cerequio 2015 will benefit from being decanted a few hours before serving to fully reveal its aromatic range. The ideal serving temperature is between 16 and 18°C. Crafted for long aging of twenty to thirty years, this wine will go through a closed phase in its early years before developing captivating tertiary notes over time.

A La Morra Barolo combining power and elegance from the Italian terroir of Cerequio

The estate

Founded in 1986 in La Morra by Roberto Voerzio, the estate was born from a break with family tradition and a radical vision of quality. Today, Roberto Voerzio and his son Davide run this 35-hectare property, including 15 hectares of Barolo grand crus spread across eight prestigious sites: La Serra, Brunate, Cerequio, Rocche dell'Annunziata, Torriglione, Fossati, Case Nere and Sarmassa. The estate has established itself as a global benchmark thanks to a revolutionary approach based on extremely low yields, high planting density, and certified organic viticulture. Roberto Voerzio fundamentally shaped modern Barolo production by showing that exceptional quality requires radical sacrifices in the vineyard.

The vineyard

The Barolo Cerequio comes from a historic two-hectare terroir in La Morra, recognized as a premier cru as early as the 1880 classification. This vineyard benefits from an outstanding full south exposure, sheltered from northern winds by the hilltop village of La Morra. This setting creates the warmest microclimate in the entire Barolo appellation, the only site where olive trees can survive. The soils are made up of limestone marls with blue veins, with a magnesium concentration five times higher than any other Barolo grand cru, giving the wine its distinctive herbal notes. Planting density reaches 4,000 to 5,000 vines per hectare on deep soils combining 20% sand, 50% silt, and 30% clay, at around 320 meters above sea level. The vines, planted in 1988, yield only 500 grams of grapes per vine thanks to drastic green harvesting carried out in July and August.

The vintage

The 2015 vintage proved particularly hot in Piedmont, with summer temperatures exceeding 40°C on several occasions. However, spring and summer rainfall built up significant water reserves, preventing water stress. Three days of rain in mid-August brought welcome freshness, allowing for gradual, complete ripening of the grapes. Sophisticated canopy management and carefully measured green harvesting made it possible to produce balanced, fresh, well-structured wines despite the heat. This vintage is considered very important, fully expressing the greatness of Nebbiolo in a context of global warming.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for the Cerequio 2015 are fully destemmed, then transferred to stainless-steel tanks for fermentation with indigenous yeasts over fifteen to thirty days depending on conditions. Pump-overs are carried out gently twice a day, with temperatures maintained between 28 and 30°C. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless-steel tanks to preserve freshness. Aging lasts two years, combining French barriques and large oak casks with around 20% new wood, followed by six months in stainless-steel tanks. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration, then rests for an additional eight months before release.

Grape variety

100% Nebbiolo