With fruit from Montforte d'Alba, the Pio Cesare 2020 Barolo Mosconi was first produced in 2015. Although the winery team has more than five years of experience with Mosconi, Cesare Benvenuto tells me that there was a steep learning curve with this wine. Mosconi is 300 meters removed from Ornato; however, the results are quite different, especially in terms of the mouthfeel. Mosconi shows silky or velvety tannins, and Ornato is more structured. This wine is lifted in terms of aromas, with bright raspberry and blue flowers. It reveals an open but translucent quality that gives this Barolo an especially elegant and undertone personality. Production is 6,900 bottles.

The Barolo offers dark red cherry aromas with notes of leather and earth. It’s round and full on the palate with good depth of flavor and rich extract on a long finish. It’s a blend across 7 vineyards in 5 villages with the Ornato vineyard in Serralunga the single most important source.

The Pio Cesare Barbaresco Pio opens with the scent of fresh red cherries and raspberries with a note of underbrush. It’s mouthfilling and balanced with a firm backbone, round approachable tannins and a long, focused finish. Sourced from four different vineyard sites, including the high altitude, south-facing Il Bricco at 425 meters altitude.

Earthy and herbaceous, with hints of fruit leaves and a luscious aroma reminiscent of strawberry and red currant jam. Freshly ground spices add depth, including sweet cinnamon and savory thyme. On the palate, encounter a vintage charm with dried cherries, wild herbs, and elegant tannins, evoking the timeless allure of an old-school classic that is delicious now but will refine with age. 

As classic as they come, the wines from il Bricco always shows the passion that Pio Cesare bring to making wine. Aromas of dark cherry jam, plum compote with crushed bay leave and ground spices define the nose. Elegant with a fine line of tannins that runs from the beginning to end that provides a balance bar for the flavors wild berries, black tea and savory spices to perform on, a true high-wire act that is pulled off with near perfections. A gem of a wine. Drink from 2026.