Pio Cesare Barolo DOCG 2017

Producer Information

This historic family-owned estate is named after its founder Cesare Pio, who established the business in 1881. The winery is based in Alba, in the heart of Piemonte and is now run by Federica Boffa and Cesare Benvenuto, the fifth generation of the family. Pio Cesare developed Barolo’s reputation overseas in the 1950s by being one of the first producers to export the wine to the UK. The founder’s great grandson Pio Boffa was deeply convinced of the importance of cultivating and growing owned land to produce high quality wines and played a key role in the acquisition of vineyards in the same locations where Cesare Pio used to buy his grapes from. Today Pio Cesare owns 70 hectares in the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco and makes wines in a style that manages to balance the best of the old with the best of the new. The estate includes most of the municipalities in the Barolo and Barbaresco areas.

 

Vineyards

The grapes are sourced from family-owned vineyards in Serralunga d’Alba (Ornato), Grinzane Cavour (Gustava), La Morra (Roncaglie), Barolo Novello (Ravera), and Monforte d’Alba (Mosconi). The balance of the grapes comes from other exclusive vineyards owned by growers, who have been providing grapes to the Pio Cesare family for generations.

Winemaking

Vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks, with skin contact for about 20 days. The wine is aged in mid-toasted French oak for three years: 70 percent in 20 to 50 hectoliter casks; 30 percent in barriques.

Vintage Information

2017 was both an extraordinary and exceptional vintage in the Langhe area producing high quality Barolo and Barbaresco of great elegance, concentration, power, structure and ageing potential. High temperatures did push the harvest earlier than usual but even though the vegetative cycle started much earlier than usual, it lasted for almost 185-190 days. In other “hot” vintages, such as 2003 and 2007, it lasted no more than 170 days. This extra time and Pio’s extremely meticulous green harvest made 2017 a year to be remembered for healthy grapes with high concentration of anthocyanins and polyphenols, rounder tannins and concentration of fruit.

Tasting Note

This vintage has extraordinary elegance, complexity and character. Full bodied with fine tannins, this is a Barolo of great precision and ageing potential (15+ years).

Food Pairing

Ideal with steak tartar, truffle, porcini dishes, duck, guinea fowl, veal, braised beef, cheese.

Serving Suggestion

Serve at 16-18°C.

Press

95 points – James Suckling

95 punti – Luca Gardini, Gardini Notes

94+ points – Wine Advocate, Monica Larner

93 points – Decanter

92 points – Vinous, Antonio Galloni

91 points – Wine Spectator, Bruce Sanderson

Barolo DOCG, Piemonte
100% Nebbiolo
Natural cork
Yes
Yes

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