Wine Advisor
Pio Cesare, Barolo Ornato 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The Pio Cesare 2019 Barolo Ornato sources its fruit from one of the best-known MGA sites in Serralunga d'Alba. The character of this wine always prizes structure and power, and these qualities are especially evident in a vintage like 2019 that offers more concentrated fruit to begin with. Ornato is infused with dark berry nuances contrasted against savory tones of spice, tar and smoke. It closes with finely textured tannins. Production is 13,029 bottles, 600 magnums and other large formats.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is beautifully crafted with ultra-fine tannins with cherries, berries, and flowers. Medium to full body. Lovely length. Very classic in structure. Linear and racy. Tight at the end. Give it four to six years of bottle age. Try after 2027.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The 2019 Barolo Ornato is a big, tightly wound Serralunga Barolo that is going to need time to come into its own. Iron, white pepper, mint, dried herbs and orange peel open, but with great reticence. Today, the Ornato is impenetrable. Let's see what happens over time.
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.
