Precise and alluring, with elegantly layered apple, citrus, blanched almond and lemon custard flavors that finish on a refreshing, steely accent. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now.

Dynamic yet elegantly structured, with alluring flavors of Asian pear, baked apple, brioche, clove and nutmeg that build richness on the graceful finish. Drink now through 2027.

Cesare Benvenuto of Pio Cesare tells me that what he loves most about the 2020 vintage is that it is, in his word: contemporary. "You can drink the wines immediately, the tannins are silky and hydrated and Nebbiolo shows a lovely quality of fruit," he says. The 2020 Barbaresco is a blend from four family-owned parcels in Treiso (Il Bricco, San Stefanetto and Bongiovanni) and Alba (Rocche di Massalupo), but 70% of the fruit is from Il Bricco, specifically from the higher part of the vineyard that extends over 400 meters in elevation. Fermentation is in stainless steel with gentle cap management and one month on the skins. The wine ages in oak for 30 months, with 90% of it going into botti, and 10% going into neutral barrique. Starting with the 2022 vintage, Austrian oak was introduced. This is a pretty wine with bright fruit, animating acidity and a silky finish.

The most powerful of the bunch is the Pio Cesare 2020 Barolo Ornato. This is a structured wine with firm tannins and dense fruit that falls on the darker side of the spectrum with blackberry and damson plum. You also get that typical Serralunga d'Alba imprint of rusty mineral and dark licorice. The wine is quite ample in terms of volume and depth, and iy's definitely reflective of its territory of origin. Production is 12,325 bottles, and larger formats were also made.

This wine represents a blend of Nebbiolo from Serralunga d’Alba (Ornato, La Serra and Briccolina), Grinzane Cavour (Gustava and Garretti), La Morra (Roncaglie), Novello (Ravera) and, more recently, Monforte d'Alba (Mosconi). The Pio Cesare 2020 Barolo has an approachable style for sure, with classic Nebbiolo tones of berry fruit, orange peel and licorice. It reveals an integrated and silky personality and tannins that feel very inviting for near and medium-term drinking. This is an ample release of 70,000 bottles.