Pio Cesare Barbera d'Alba DOC

Wine information: This historic family-owned estate is named after its founder Cesare Pio, who established the business in 1881. It is based in Alba in the heart of the Piemonte region, nestled between the Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. The surrounding hills provide a handful of ideal exposures for grape growing with unique micro-climates. The confluence of cold Alpine air with warm maritime moisture regularly creates a misty glow, or ‘nebbia’, over these foothills, hence Nebbiolo, the great red variety of the region. This Barbera is a wine quite different from many other Barbera. This might be due to the fact that Cesare's Barbera grapes are grown alongside the Nebbiolo grapes. This, combined with the extensive barrel ageing, results in a wine with the strength and wild energy of a Barbera, but the refined elegance of Barolo. The grapes for the Barbera d’Alba come from the family owned vineyards in Serraluga d’Alba (Ornato and Colombaro), in Sinio, Diano d'Alba and Grinzane Cavour, together with other vineyards belonging to historical suppliers who have been selling their grapes to Pio Cesare generations, working their vineyards according to Cesare's directions and strict quality controls. There is 15 days of skin contact in stainless steel temperature-controlled fermenters. The wine is aged for 18 months in French oak, 30 percent in mid-toasted barriques and 70 percent in 20 to 50 hectoliter casks. 100% Barbera.

Tasting Notes: Pio Cesare Barbera d'Alba is a unique wine – full and brave, rich and aristocratic, yet soft and supple. It has an intense ruby colour with garnet reflections. The nose has dark cherry tones with tobacco and toasty hints and the palate is plummy with spicy ripe fruit and blackberry overtones.

 
     

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