2022 Pio Cesare Nebbiolo Langhe Piemonte

The house Pio Cesare is one of the classic producers of the region. Based in Alba, the region's "wine capital", and founded in 1881 by Cesare Pio. Its name has been retained in reverse order as the name of this trading house and family business. It is still in family hands, as it is headed by Pio Boffa, the founder's great-grandson. He continues the work of the family in an excellent way, and has since also been responsible for a number of modernisations and changes at this beautiful, traditional company. For example, Pio Cesare has always been a trading house, which purchased the grapes on contract from winegrowers in the region. This is also a common practice in this region, which has many small winegrowers with small patches of vineyard, who are always ready to sell their grapes to one of the trading houses. In that respect, the region is a bit like Burgundy, with all those different vineyards, each with its own name, divided into small pieces of vineyard, all of which are owned by a different winemaker.

Pio Boffa has decided that for the quality of the wines it is a good thing to also own vineyards. Over the years he has therefore acquired a number of vineyards, especially in the famous areas of Barolo and Barbaresco. The vineyard property now extends over 45 hectares, and produces some of the house's finest wines, topped by a few distinct vineyard cuvées. These are only marketed in the good years. The necessary changes have also been made in winemaking. We have opted for a very restrained vinification, in which the wine is left alone as much as possible, so with as few interventions as possible. Each wine receives the individual treatment that best suits that particular wine, with a shorter or longer fermentation on the skins, whether or not followed by a classic maturation on Slavonian oak, the traditional wood of the region. It produces wines with a classic finesse, balanced and complex, worthy representatives of this special wine region.

Langhe is perhaps the most diverse and accessible part of Piedmont. The region (classified as DOC) extends south of the town of Alba and benefits from rolling hills and the clay/marl soil south and east of the Tanaro River. Langhe is a well kept secret of Piemonte.

A uniquely varied landscape that has not yet been discovered by the general public. Gastronomers have already found their way to Langhe, because of the famous Piemontese truffle and their wonderful wine. In addition to the familiar Nebbiolo and Dolcetto grapes, you will also find Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon here. Langhe wines of the DOC class are comparable to the DOCG Barolo, but too young to receive that designation. For example, most DOC Langhe only mature for 12 months and not 38, which is common at Barolo. But that also has advantages: you can drink this wine younger, and taste what the youthful Nebbiolo tastes like. The Langhe area is just where warmer and lower, so that the Nebbiolos from this region are a bit more fruity and especially more accessible. The Langhe Nebbiolo is also irreverently called the Barolo for beginners, but this is mainly due to the 'label drinkers' because a Nebbiolo from this region has a great price / quality and if we take this aspect into account, we can certainly advise you correctly try the wines from the appellation in Piemonte. More fruit, something warmer, more accessible could be a kind of summary.

Piemonte, meaning "at the foot of the mountain," is a vast region in northern Italy with Turin as its capital, nestled between various mountain ranges. Bordered by the Alps to the north and west and the Ligurian Apennines to the south, Piemonte is shielded from the maritime climate, favoring a continental climate.

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The viticultural history of Piemonte dates back to antiquity, with Greeks introducing winemaking through Ligurian ports. Over the centuries, Piemonte has evolved into one of Italy's premier wine regions, boasting an impressive seven DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) classifications and 37 DOCs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), collectively responsible for 70% of the region's total wine production.

Encompassing 58,000 hectares, Piemonte cultivates a variety of grape varieties, primarily indigenous. The renowned Nebbiolo grape takes center stage, contributing to the iconic Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, and Ghemme, all awarded DOCG status. Additionally, Barbera, gaining popularity, and Dolcetto, praised for its soft and round character, form the foundation for numerous red wines.

Internationally, Piemonte is recognized for Asti Spumante, an exquisite aromatic sparkling wine crafted from the Muscat grape near the city of Asti. This delightful bubbly is a traditional accompaniment to panettone and other sweets.

The key wine zones lie south of the Po River, notably in the provinces of Cuneo (Langa and Roero) and Asti and Alessandria, with Alba as the commercial hub. Barolo, produced around the village of the same name, is dubbed the "king of wines, wine of kings," reflecting its association with ancient royal houses. Barolo, known for its robust character, may remain tannic even after extended aging but often transforms into a sensation of flavor and aroma.

Similarly, Barbaresco, from the nearby village, also produces robust red wines from Nebbiolo. Advances in winemaking techniques and a new generation of vintners have made Barolo and Barbaresco more accessible and balanced while preserving the Nebbiolo grape's original character.

Gattinara and Ghemme, from the northern provinces, share the need for aging and pair excellently with various meat and game dishes.

Around Alba, the DOC Dolcetto d'Alba produces soft wines from the Dolcetto grape, gaining popularity in Italy and beyond. Barbera wines from Alba and Asti, under DOC Barbera d'Alba and Barbera d'Asti, respectively, are highly regarded, with Barbera emerging as a worthy rival to Nebbiolo after some years of aging.

The Bracchetto d'Acqui, a red sparkling wine, enjoys DOCG status and is produced east of Asti, consumed predominantly in the region as a dessert wine.

The Gavi or Cortese di Gavi, the final DOCG, is a delicate dry white wine made from the Cortese grape in the province of Alessandria, ideal for pairing with various shellfish and seafood.

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