Pio Cesare : Ornato 2021

Tasting Notes and Serving Suggestions for Pio Cesare’s Barolo "Ornato" 2021

Tasting

Appearance
A brilliant ruby-red color with garnet highlights dresses this wine, reflecting its youth and the intensity of extraction achieved during vinification.

Nose
The nose reveals remarkable aromatic complexity. Black-fruit aromas dominate, with notes of black cherry, blackberry, and plum, joined by a pronounced mineral dimension evoking graphite and crushed stone. The bouquet gains further depth with secondary nuances of camphor, violet, rose, wild herbs, and sweet spices reminiscent of star anise. With aeration, tertiary notes of tar, scorched earth, cedar, and mint gradually emerge.

Palate
Medium- to full-bodied, this wine displays a remarkable structure. The tannins, while present and assertive, are fine-grained and polished, reflecting their maturity. The palate offers crushed red fruits—especially raspberry and cherry—balanced by black fruits, licorice, and tar-like notes. Juicy, vibrant acidity brings freshness and supports the wine’s considerable tannic framework. The finish stands out for its exceptional length and aromatic persistence, leaving a slightly astringent impression that promises outstanding aging potential.

Food and wine pairings

This wine pairs beautifully with braised red meats, notably beef in a wine sauce served with truffle polenta. It also elevates feathered game such as pheasant, partridge, or wild duck. Dishes featuring Alba white truffle make an ideal regional match. Characterful aged cheeses such as well-aged Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Toscano are also excellent companions. Mushroom-based preparations—whether risotto or stuffed pasta—create a remarkable harmony with the earthy and mineral notes of this Italian wine.

Serving and cellaring

It is recommended to decant this Barolo "Ornato" 2021 several hours before serving to allow the wine to open fully and to soften its tannic structure. The ideal serving temperature is between 16 and 18°C. This wine can be enjoyed from around 2028 and will continue to evolve until around 2041, or even beyond depending on storage conditions.

A powerful, structured Barolo from Serralunga d'Alba, promising long aging

The estate

Founded in 1881 by Cesare Pio in Alba, in the heart of Piedmont, Pio Cesare is among the region’s pioneering houses in the production of exceptionally high-quality Nebbiolo wines. Now led by Federica Boffa Pio, representing the fifth family generation, the estate farms around 80 hectares of vineyards spread across the Barolo and Barbaresco appellations. The house stands out for its unique location in Alba’s historic center, within cellars dating back to Roman times, and for its unwavering commitment to sustainable viticulture and terroir-respectful winemaking. Internationally recognized for the excellence of its Barolos, Pio Cesare embodies an unbroken family tradition for more than 140 years.

The vineyard

The Barolo "Ornato" comes exclusively from the namesake vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba, one of the appellation’s most prestigious areas. This vineyard is distinguished by its amphitheater-like layout with full southern exposure, benefiting from optimal sunshine from morning to evening. Situated at nearly 400 meters in altitude, it enjoys a particularly dry and warm microclimate within Serralunga. The soils are composed of limestone and clay, typical of Serralunga’s geological formations, giving the wines power, remarkable tannic structure, and exceptional aging potential. The three parcels that make up the Ornato vineyard each contribute subtle nuances that enhance the complexity of the final wine.

The vintage

The 2021 vintage proved exceptional in Piedmont. A long, cold winter, with abundant snowfall and rainfall, built essential water reserves in the soils. The cool, dry spring delayed Nebbiolo budbreak by around fifteen days compared with the previous year. Early summer brought frequent rains that kept temperatures moderate, encouraging steady vegetative growth. From mid-July onward, temperatures rose significantly, peaking at 38°C in August, although these episodes were brief. Rigorous canopy management and green harvesting helped control heat stress. September brought a noticeable drop in temperatures, followed by an exceptionally dry, sunny October with excellent day-night temperature swings—ideal conditions for final ripening. The Nebbiolo harvest began on October 11, 2021, yielding grapes of remarkable health, concentration, and phenolic ripeness.

Winemaking and aging

The grapes for Barolo "Ornato" 2021 were vinified in stainless-steel tanks with an extended maceration of around 30 days, allowing optimal extraction of aromatic compounds, color, and tannins. After fermentation, the wine was aged for approximately 30 months in oak barrels. Most of the aging took place in large French and Eastern European oak casks, preserving the purity of fruit and terroir expression. Around 10% of the cuvée spent the first twelve months in Burgundian French oak barriques before being transferred to large casks for the remaining eighteen months, bringing subtle complexity and textural refinement without masking the wine’s character. A period of bottle aging preceded release, allowing the wine’s components to harmonize.

Grape variety

100% Nebbiolo