Pio Cesare Barolo Mosconi DOCG
Piemonte, Italy
Vintage:2019 (Current)
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Reviews
Wine Spectator
95 Points
October 2023, Bruce Sanderson
“Centered on cherry and raspberry fruit, this red is ripe yet vibrant, with a solid underlying structure. Gains depth from iron, licorice and tar notes, while a saline thread emerges on the long, intense finish. Ripe, with a sense of restraint -- an intriguing combination. Best from 2027 through 2045.”
The Wine Advocate
96 Points
August 24, 2023, Monica Larner
“The Pio Cesare 2019 Barolo Mosconi (with 6,685 bottles and larger formats on the market) offers the structure and length of Nebbiolo from Monforte d'Alba. You also get a salty mineral tone or rusty iron that frames a core of wild berry and blackcurrant. The Mosconi always appears very linear and direct to me, and that special sharpness is what I like best about this vintage.”
JamesSuckling.com
98 Points
June 21, 2023, James Suckling
“The aromas of blue fruits such as raspberries and blueberries are so prevalent. Licorice. Crushed stone. Violets. Full-bodied. So classy with ultra-fine tannins that go on forever. Lovely depth of cool and focused fruit. A vivid and thoughtful wine with power and finesse. Classic in the making. Drink after 2028.”
Jeb Dunnuck
96 Points
May 4, 2023, Audrey Frick
“My favorite of the Pio Cesare wines at this tasting, the 2019 Barolo Mosconi displays great balance in is notes of raspberry liqueur, pressed roses, and blood orange. With fine, ripe tannins and a note of salty mineral earth, it is fresh and persistent with ripe red fruit and orange peel and is long on the palate. Drink 2025-2045.”
Overview
The Pio Cesare family’s unique winemaking method stresses minimal intervention to produce wines of particularly supple flavor expression. A ceaseless devotion to the individuality of each of the region’s wines informs Pio Cesare's choices in the cellar: shorter maceration, separate lot fermentation, judicious selection for barrel and large cask aging, and bottling schedules determined by the ideal structure of each wine. This allows Pio Cesare to craft wines of varying weight, ageability and drinkability as determined by the vineyard rather than market fashion.
Mosconi is thought to be one of the true “grand crus” of the commune of Monforte d’Alba, itself one the most prestigious areas within Barolo. Its soils and microclimates allow Nebbiolo to grow exceptionally well and produce styles of Barolo with great structure, incredibly unique and distinctive aromas, and big opulent tannins that are accessible and ripen, silky and rich.
Winemaking
This is a single-vineyard Barolo from grapes sourced from the oldest Nebbiolo vines (1947 and 1971) in the family's famous Mosconi vineyard in Monforte d’Alba at an altitude of 390 meters.
The grapes are softly crushed and destemmed at the winery's ancient cellars in the center of Alba. Fermented in two stainless steel tanks for ten days: the skin cap, frequently punched down, reached a maximum temperature of 86°F. Maceration on the skins for over 30 days.
Harvest Notes
The particular conditions of the 2019 vintage, with its warm climate and the absence of extremes (frost, heat spikes), an abundant water supply and a late harvest, allowed the Nebbiolo grape to complete its ripening without any stress, enhancing the typical character of each locations, revealing the fascinating diversity of the region characterized by different altitude, positions, exposures, soil and microclimate.
The family started picking Nebbiolo for Barolo on October 13th in the village of Serralunga d’Alba at the Briccolina and Ornato vineyards, usually the earliest sites due to their exposure and soil compoistion. Harvest continued in the other vineyards of Serralunga (Lirano and Serra), in Monforte d’Alba (Mosconi) and in La Morra (Roncaglie), concluding on October 20th in Novello at the Ravera vineyard.
Technical Information
Varietals: 100% Nebbiolo