Free shipping on orders over €50 (to Portugal)

Pio Cesare NV Barolo Chinato

Pio Cesare
€81.90
Tax included Shipping calculated at checkout.

94 points Robert Parker

The Wine Advocate
RP 94
Monica Larner: Pio Cesare NV Barolo Chinato pours from the bottle with a dark amber color and bright chestnut highlights. This fortified digestif is incredibly pure and intense, with aromas that you can clearly list and identify one by one. There’s balsam and medicinal herbs with hints of minty cough syrup, cola, and candied orange peel. With time, you might also notice some Moroccan spice or toasted Spanish cedar. The alcohol content is listed at 16 percent, though it certainly feels much higher. The balanced sweetness gently envelops the palate. I’m never quite sure how to assign a drinking window to Barolo Chinato, and it’s ostensibly made to last forever.

The exceptional outpouring of emotion following the death of Pio Boffa, the legendary figure behind Pio Cesare, earlier this year has become a historic moment for Italian wine as the country grapples with the emotional and economic devastation left by the coronavirus.

Pio Boffa, 66, passed away on the evening of April 17, 2021, after a two-week battle with COVID-19. The Italian wine community mourned his passing, setting the internet ablaze with emotional tributes, photos and memories, just as the rest of the nation began to see the first rays of light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.

Pio Boffa was the fourth generation of his family to head Pio Cesare, founded by his great-grandfather Cesare Pio in 1881. The Alba-based winery would become one of the most important in Italy, with 70 hectares of vineyards and an annual production of half a million bottles. Today, the wines are exported to more than 50 countries.

Pio Boffa will be remembered for his charisma, his generosity and his love of life, wine and social life. And, as I can personally attest, he was particularly interested in encouraging opportunities for a younger generation of wine professionals. His infectious enthusiasm was unmistakable.

Boffa passed away just as his beloved company celebrated its 140th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, two special commemorative wines will be released. The first is a 2000 Barolo Riserva (with only 500 bottles available). The label features an image of a key worn as a necklace by the family matriarch, Nonna Rosy, who passed away last year at the age of 98. Going forward, Pio Cesare will implement a late-release wine program featuring special selections from its historic cellars.

The second celebratory wine is a 2017 Barolo del Comune di Serralunga d'Alba. Exactly 1,881 bottles were produced, one for each year since the company was founded. The wine uses fruit from four vineyards: Ornato, La Briccolina, La Serra and Lirano.

A fifth generation is now in operation. Pio Boffa's daughter, Federica Rosy, and his nephew, Cesare Benvenuto, are at the helm of the company today.
Back to top