Region: Barbaresco, Piedmont
Variety: Nebbiolo
Vintage: 2021
Country: Italy
The Wine
Pio Cesare first released Il Bricco with the 1990 vintage to capture the distinct personality of Bricco di Treiso, one of Barbaresco’s finest elevated sites. In local dialect, “Bricco” refers to the crest or peak of the hill, and that altitude matters here. At around 400 metres above sea level, with a fresher, windier microclimate, steeper slopes and soils of limestone, clay and compact marl, Il Bricco produces Nebbiolo of perfume, tension and remarkable ageing potential.
The wine comes from several plots within the family’s Il Bricco estate. Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel with around 15 days on skins, followed by extended ageing in both barriques and large casks. Pio Cesare makes Il Bricco only in strong vintages and in very limited quantity, treating it as one of the estate’s most complete and site-specific expressions of Barbaresco.
While Barbaresco is often discussed as the more graceful sibling to Barolo, Il Bricco has real authority. There is plenty of perfume and line, but also structure, spice and mineral depth. The 2021 vintage, with its freshness, balanced acidity and aromatic clarity, seems to suit the site beautifully.
Cellared Says
This is the most aristocratic of the three — floral, poised and beautifully detailed, but don’t mistake that elegance for delicacy. Il Bricco has real drive and presence, and in 2021 it feels particularly complete. 2021 in Barbaresco is a superb, potentially generation-defining vintage, giving wines with ripe tannins, freshness, perfume and no sense of heaviness or dilution. That matters enormously for Nebbiolo. The greatest years are never just about power — they are about harmony, and 2021 looks to have delivered exactly that. Il Bricco captures the vintage brilliantly: fragrant, serious, long and very cellar-worthy. Very limited stock in country.
Wine Reviews
Intense flavours of oyster shells and dark fruits, such as black cherries and blackberries, along with black olives, dark mushrooms and a hint of cloves. It is medium to full-bodied with linear and long tannins and a powerful finish. Nevertheless, it is both polished and refined. It still needs some time to open up, but there is so much in it. Drink it after 2028.
98 points, James Suckling
The 2021 Barbaresco Il Bricco caresses the palate with crushed raspberry, cinnamon, rose petal, cedar, sweet spice and pipe tobacco. Sensual at first, the 2021 is deceptive, as it packs a pretty substantial punch of acidity, tannin and overall structure. I find it absolutely beguiling and wonderfully complex right out of the gate.
96 points, Vinous, Antonio Galloni
Region: Barbaresco, Piedmont
Variety: Nebbiolo
Vintage: 2021
Country: Italy
The Wine
Pio Cesare first released Il Bricco with the 1990 vintage to capture the distinct personality of Bricco di Treiso, one of Barbaresco’s finest elevated sites. In local dialect, “Bricco” refers to the crest or peak of the hill, and that altitude matters here. At around 400 metres above sea level, with a fresher, windier microclimate, steeper slopes and soils of limestone, clay and compact marl, Il Bricco produces Nebbiolo of perfume, tension and remarkable ageing potential.
The wine comes from several plots within the family’s Il Bricco estate. Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel with around 15 days on skins, followed by extended ageing in both barriques and large casks. Pio Cesare makes Il Bricco only in strong vintages and in very limited quantity, treating it as one of the estate’s most complete and site-specific expressions of Barbaresco.
While Barbaresco is often discussed as the more graceful sibling to Barolo, Il Bricco has real authority. There is plenty of perfume and line, but also structure, spice and mineral depth. The 2021 vintage, with its freshness, balanced acidity and aromatic clarity, seems to suit the site beautifully.
Cellared Says
This is the most aristocratic of the three — floral, poised and beautifully detailed, but don’t mistake that elegance for delicacy. Il Bricco has real drive and presence, and in 2021 it feels particularly complete. 2021 in Barbaresco is a superb, potentially generation-defining vintage, giving wines with ripe tannins, freshness, perfume and no sense of heaviness or dilution. That matters enormously for Nebbiolo. The greatest years are never just about power — they are about harmony, and 2021 looks to have delivered exactly that. Il Bricco captures the vintage brilliantly: fragrant, serious, long and very cellar-worthy. Very limited stock in country.
Wine Reviews
Intense flavours of oyster shells and dark fruits, such as black cherries and blackberries, along with black olives, dark mushrooms and a hint of cloves. It is medium to full-bodied with linear and long tannins and a powerful finish. Nevertheless, it is both polished and refined. It still needs some time to open up, but there is so much in it. Drink it after 2028.
98 points, James Suckling
The 2021 Barbaresco Il Bricco caresses the palate with crushed raspberry, cinnamon, rose petal, cedar, sweet spice and pipe tobacco. Sensual at first, the 2021 is deceptive, as it packs a pretty substantial punch of acidity, tannin and overall structure. I find it absolutely beguiling and wonderfully complex right out of the gate.
96 points, Vinous, Antonio Galloni
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