Winery - Pio Cesare
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Hurrah! A true-to-the-blueprint Chardonnay from Italy. Maybe not the first, but one of the few. Features an expressive pear-fruit nose, with just the right weight and acidity on the palate. Solid winemaking and a good vintage are both evident in the structure. A nice surprise.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A plush, soft Barolo, the ’99 Ornato blends rich black cherry fruit with tobacco and dark earth. Coffee, hazelnut and caramel notes add layers of sweetness without obscuring the fruit. Deceptively approachable, its best drinking probably lies between 2010 and 2020.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This historic producer has developed into a reliable source for Barolo and Barbaresco, scoring uniformly well in our tastings. This offering boasts delicate aromas of cherries, leather and tea. It’s plump in the mouth, then finishes with firm tannins. Drink 2008–2016.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Glorious aromas of coffee, vanilla and exotic spices mark the nose of this very impressive red. Strapping tannins are the backdrop for dense mineral, tar and leather flavors which carry over to the lingering finish. This is a wine built for the long haul. The tannins should start to be approachable in 2012 while the fruit density will carry it to 2020 and beyond.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Very ripe aromas of spice cake, prunes and candied fruit are complemented by chocolate and briary berry flavors. Acidity keeps the rich flavors in check. Tannins are caressingly soft, which make it surprisingly approachable now, though it should age well for a decade or more.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Creamy, with milk-chocolate and vanilla aromas and flavors alongside strawberries, cherries and tobacco. This is a full-bodied, concentrated wine that’s lush enough to drink now but should develop some additional complexity with five years of cellaring.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This lavishly oaked wine with a big fruit foundation is very much in the California style, though it is made in Piedmont. The full, smooth mouthfeel is large but not fat, and the supple palate delivers apple, caramel, spice and toast. Finshes long and toasty, with a leesy, earthy note.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
This Barbaresco is big and maybe a touch “international” for some purists, but it maintains a sense of place through its classic structure. Chocolate, blueberry, black cherries, smoke and coconut-almond macaroons all mingle on the nose, then turn dark and brooding on the palate, where the primary flavors are black cherry and dark coffee. A velvety mouthfeel and plenty of supple tannins make this wine one for the cellar. Cellar Selection.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Light-to medium bodied, this Chardonnay is characterized by a strong floral-herb note that shows early. This almost flowershop-like quality shows more on the palate than do fruit flavors, and persists through the dry finish.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Unique and appealing, with scents of pear drop and roasted walnuts leading into a luxuriously textured palate. Caramel notes from toasty new oak vie with kiwi flavors in the mouth while the finish is long and dry. Drink now or age a few years for even more complexity.
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