Pio Cesare Barolo Pio 2021

96 points James Suckling: "This is very powerful and structured, with aromas of black truffles, graphite and hints of dried thyme and cedar. Medium- to full-bodied and chewy yet polished. Hints of terra cotta and dark fruit. The finish goes on and on. March 2024 release. Best after 2028. (8/16/24)"

94 points Raffaele Vecchione (WinesCritic.com): "Extremely captivating and joyful in the sensory profile, it shows notes of rose petals, elderflower, peach blossom, jasmine, acacia, currant, raspberry, citron pieces and dried cherries. Medium-full body, perfectly soft and tasty tannins on the palate and a finish of great harmony and stylistic precision. Better from 2027. (Nov 2024)"

94 points Monica Larner (Wine Advocate): "The Pio Cesare 2021 Barolo draws fruit from various sites, and like the Barbaresco, you get an excellent portrait of the vintage with balanced acidity, firm tannins and bright primary fruit. There is energy and vitality in this pretty Barolo with dried cherry, iris and subtle dustings of iron ore or rust. Drink 2026-2043 (Jun 2025)"

93 points Kerin O'Keefe: "The 2021 Barolo Pio opens with alluring aromas of dark-skinned berry, forest floor, exotic brown spice, rose and camphor. Full-bodied and showing elegant restraint, the savory palate offers spiced cranberry, wild cherry, licorice and a hint of mint alongside firm, refined tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it balanced. Drink: 2030–2036. Abv: 14.5%. (Feb 2025)"

92+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 2021 Barbaresco “Pio” from Pio Cesare is an excellent young wine. As I have mentioned in the past, this bottling from Pio Cesare hails from estate vineyards all located in the township of Treiso, with ten percent of the wine raised in French oak barriques that are one yearold, and the rest raised in botti. The 2021 vintage here comes in at 14.5 percent octane and offers up a superb bouquet of cherries, pomegranate, gamebird, woodsmoke, a touch of fresh oregano, incipient notes of nutskin and a topnote of roses. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and shows off beautiful depth of fruit at the core, with excellent soil transparency, ripe, buried tannins, tangy acids and great focus and grip on the long, complex and impeccably balanced finish. This is first class Barbaresco in the making! 2041-2100. (May/Jun 2025)"

92 points Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com): "Displaying a deeper red color with more pigment, the 2021 Barolo Pio is more layered, savory, and noble in its feel all around and opens to notes of fresh cherries, licorice, lifted clove spice, and forest herbs. It shows a good deal of intensity on the palate, with firm, structured tannins, and while it’s medium-bodied, it feels more expansive and has mineral drive. It demands a bit of cellaring but will drink well over the next 15-20 years. Drink: 2025-2045. (May 2025)"

92 points Michaela Morris (Decanter): "Fresh and attractive with red currants, wild strawberry, brushwood and rosehip tea, it's quite full with some richness to the fruit but assertive tannins which step in to lend proper support. Long and evocatively earthy on the finish. With the passing of longtime patriarch Pio Boffa in 2021, this historic estate is now in the capable hands of his 20-something daughter Federica Boffa and nephew Cesare Benvenuto. Bringing together eight vineyards from five villages, this classic bottling demonstrates more immediate balance than the Ornato. It clearly serves a distinct purpose by providing a panorama of the zone and offering earlier drinking. Drinking Window: 2026-2036. (1/6/25)"