Wine Advisor
Pio Cesare, Barolo Ornato 2013
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
This wine represents a slight stylistic departure compared to past editions. The 2013 Barolo Ornato sees fruit sourced from Serralunga d'Alba from a site that is known for its power and concentration. This wine's identity is tightly linked to the wide popularity of this more robust taste profile. Pio Cesare opted to use a little less barrique and more delicate punch downs instead of pump overs (that tend to increase tannins and bitterness). They have also opted to increase maceration times by a slight margin. The results are spectacular. This is a wine I have always admired and I'm pleased to say that it just got better. Dark fruit and plum segue to soft spice, leather and licorice.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
Extremely complex and showing the terroir of Serralunga with rose stems, wet earth, strawberries and mushrooms. Orange peel to boot. Full to medium body, ultra-fine tannins and bright acidity. Fascinating character that takes everything from the aromas. Light chewy on the finish. Expanding. Needs time to soften with bottle age. Better in 2021.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2013 Barolo Ornato is a powerful, authoritative wine with plenty of tannic heft, muscle and darkness. Today, the Ornato comes across as a bit squashed by its oak and not fully expressive. I expected more, given the quality of this site and vintage. Both bottles I tasted of the 2013 Ornato were decidedly lackluster relative to recent vintages. Perhaps I have been unlucky, but based on what I have seen so far, the Ornato is one of the few disappointments of 2013.
About the Producer
Located in the Piedmont region of Italy, Pio is one of the oldest wineries in the region and was named one of Wine Spectator's "10 Best Wineries in the World" in 2002. Pio was founded in 1881 by the current owner's great-great-grandfather, Cesare Pio. He was one of the first winemakers and one of the first to adhere to a philosophy of winemaking dedicated to the terroir of the appellation and to the strict demands of quality. Since its foundation, Château Pio has been guided by a commitment to quality that has remained unchanged through four generations. The winery is currently headed by Boffa Pio, a descendant of the family. Today, Pio has over 50 hectares of vineyards in the best areas of Barolo and Barbaresco. In addition to its own vineyards, Bodegas Pio has established long-term partnerships with professional vintners who are responsible for all aspects of the vineyard's viticultural management. In terms of winemaking, Château Piau, under the leadership of its current owner, Boffa Piau, has pioneered the use of stainless steel tanks for the production of its wines. In addition, the winery reduces the amount of time the grapes are macerated on their skins, thus reducing the tannin content of the wine. What's more, the winery's hygiene standards are strictly controlled, resulting in wines that are very pure. Château Piau has a systematic approach to limiting the production of its wines in order to maintain a consistently high quality. 70% of its production is exported. In recent years, the winery has made several major investments in rebuilding the cellars and renovating the winery's equipment: the Roman Empire-era walls remain in place 12 metres underground; new fermenters have been built to take advantage of gravity and a new barrel ageing room has been installed; and new bottling and labelling equipment has been installed.
