Barolo Wine

Seven wines featuring the extraordinary 2021 Crus and 2016 Liste Cru.

Wednesday, 9 September 2026
6:30pm arrival for a 7:00pm start
Osteria Luna, Underground, 68 King Street, Sydney
$240 per person, including GST & Service
Limited to 14 guests

The arrival of Borgogno’s 2021 Barolos calls for something more than a conventional tasting.

Join Cellared for an intimate dinner at Osteria Luna exploring seven wines from one of Barolo’s oldest and most historic estates. The centrepiece is Borgogno’s newly released 2021 Barolo collection, including the celebrated single-vineyard wines Fossati, Liste and Cannubi. Hosted by David Messum, owner of Cellared and ex winemaker and industry veteran with direct experience from Barolo and making Nebbiolo for over a decade, this promises to be an entertaining evening.

The 2021 vintage is already being discussed as one of the great modern Barolo years: a vintage of remarkable structure, energy and finesse, with the balance and depth required for very long ageing. Some are calling it the new vintage of the century—a title previously attached to the exceptional 2016s. International assessments have similarly described 2021 as a modern benchmark, combining ripe fruit and formidable structure with freshness and precision.

This dinner provides the rare opportunity to make that comparison directly.

Alongside the three 2021 crus, we will serve the Borgogno Liste Barolo 2016, allowing guests to taste the same historic vineyard across two extraordinary vintages. It is a fascinating comparison between the already expressive, classically proportioned 2016 and the power, freshness and potential of the newly released 2021.

The evening begins with Borgogno’s highly distinctive 2024 Era Ora Langhe Riesling, followed by the 2023 No Name Langhe Nebbiolo and 2021 Barolo Classico before moving through Fossati, Liste and Cannubi.

Each wine will be served alongside a generous Italian menu created by Osteria Luna.

The Wines

Borgogno ‘Era Ora’ Langhe Riesling DOC 2024

Borgogno ‘No Name’ Langhe Nebbiolo DOC 2023

Borgogno Barolo DOCG 2021

Borgogno Fossati Barolo DOCG 2021

Borgogno Liste Barolo DOCG 2021

Borgogno Cannubi Barolo DOCG 2021

Borgogno Liste Barolo DOCG 2016

The Menu

To begin

Garlic focaccia
Misto mare
Stracciatella
Salame cotto

Pasta

Conchiglie al forno with spicy vodka sauce

Cavatelli with blue swimmer crab, tomato and basil

Main

Bistecca alla Fiorentina

Fries
Insalata

Dessert

Tiramisu with coffee and hazelnut

Delizia al limone

About Borgogno

Founded in 1761, Giacomo Borgogno & Figli is one of Barolo’s most historic estates. Its traditional approach, long maturation and extraordinary library of back vintages have made it an enduring reference point for the region.

This is an opportunity to taste the newest chapter in that history: three distinguished crus from the exceptional 2021 vintage, culminating in Cannubi, one of Barolo’s most revered vineyard sites.

With only 14 places available, this will be a focused and intimate dinner for collectors, Barolo enthusiasts and anyone interested in experiencing two landmark vintages side by side.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Arrival: 6:30pm
Dinner begins: 7:00pm
Venue: Osteria Luna, Underground, 68 King Street, Sydney
Price: $240 per person, including GST
Capacity: 14 guests

Your ticket includes the complete shared menu and all seven wines.

Please advise us of any dietary requirements when booking. Due to the nature of the menu and the limited size of the event, not all dietary requirements may be able to be accommodated.

Region: Piedmont
Sub Region: Barolo Cannubi MGA
Variety: Nebbiolo
Country: Italy
Vintage: 2021

The Wine

Cannubi is the historic heart of Barolo and one of the denomination’s most celebrated vineyards. The name appeared on bottles before Barolo itself was formally established as an appellation, and its central position above the village creates an unusual meeting point between the area’s principal geological formations.

Borgogno’s south-facing vines sit between approximately 290 and 315 metres. The soils combine calcareous clay marl with sand and a pronounced proportion of silt. This balance helps explain Cannubi’s reputation: enough clay and silt to build depth and breadth, but sufficient sand to preserve perfume, detail and exceptionally fine tannins.

The 2021 fruit was harvested on 8 October. Most of the crop was destemmed and fermented in concrete for approximately 15 days before a further 20-day submerged-cap maceration. However, 20% followed a separate whole-cluster process intended to emphasise freshness and the breadth associated with Cannubi’s silt-rich soils. Layers of destemmed fruit and intact bunches were placed into concrete in equal proportions, encouraging both conventional and intracellular fermentation.

The two components were reunited before spending two years and eight months in large Slavonian oak, followed by a period in concrete and bottle. This careful use of whole bunch adds fragrance and energy without moving the wine away from Borgogno’s traditional style.

Cannubi is the most refined of the three crus: violet, strawberry and red cherry, subtle spice and a warmer, more enveloping palate framed by silky tannins.

Cellared Says

Cannubi carries a famous name, but the vineyard earns its reputation. It combines the structure expected of Barolo with a level of perfume and tannic finesse that few sites can match. Borgogno’s 2021 is particularly interesting because the measured whole-cluster component adds freshness and aromatic complexity without disguising the vineyard. The most elegant wine of the trio and the obvious choice for a collector wanting Borgogno’s finest expression of refinement.

Reviews

“Gradually revealing layers of black cherries, alpine strawberries, and forest flowers like secrets shared among friends.”

94 Points – Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast

Region: Piedmont
Sub Region: Barolo Liste MGA
Variety: Nebbiolo
Country: Italy
Vintage: 2021

The Wine

Liste is the vineyard most closely associated with Borgogno’s austere, traditional style. Positioned immediately south of the village of Barolo, its south- and south-east-facing slopes rise from approximately 290 to 370 metres and are composed of calcareous clay marl with a meaningful presence of sand and rocky material.

A truffle wood borders the vineyard, creating a cooler local microclimate. Borgogno calculates that the site receives a thermal accumulation approximately 2°C lower than the surrounding area. This slows ripening and helps explain Liste’s combination of dark fruit, firm acidity, mineral depth and formidable longevity.

The fruit was harvested between 14 and 20 October. After destemming and crushing, fermentation took place spontaneously in large concrete tanks for around 15 days at 22–28°C. This was followed by more than 30 days of submerged-cap maceration in concrete, with malolactic fermentation occurring during this period. The wine then matured for approximately two years and eight months in large Slavonian oak before a further period in concrete and bottling.

Compared with Fossati, Liste is darker, deeper and more reserved. Raspberry and blackberry are joined by spice, undergrowth and balsamic notes, while the palate is long, incisive and firmly structured. This is a Barolo that requires time rather than trying to impress immediately.

Cellared Says

Liste is the serious cellar wine in this group. Fossati leads with perfume and Cannubi with silk, while Liste is built around depth, mineral tension and quiet authority. It is not the most obvious wine when young, but it may ultimately be the most complete. Buy it with the intention of leaving it alone for at least eight to ten years.

Reviews

“Red fruits and rose petals start the party… then the power kicks in with deeper black cherry and forest herbs.”

93 Points – Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast

Region: Piedmont
Sub Region: Barolo Fossati MGA
Variety: Nebbiolo
Country: Italy
Vintage: 2021

The Wine

Fossati sits on the road between Barolo and La Morra and produces one of the most immediately aromatic wines in the Borgogno range. Its south-east-facing vines sit at approximately 360 metres, catching gentle morning light rather than the stronger afternoon sun experienced by warmer Barolo sites.

The vineyard’s soil profile is particularly important. A sandy surface layer lies above blue marl, silt and clay. The sand encourages floral lift, red-fruit purity and finer tannins, while the deeper marl and clay provide the structure required for long ageing. The result is generally more open and perfumed than Liste, yet more structured than the initial aromatics might suggest.

The 2021 fruit was harvested on 13 October after a season that delivered healthy grapes, strong phenolic ripeness and excellent natural balance. The grapes were destemmed and fermented in concrete at 22–28°C for approximately two weeks. Fermentation was completed after racking, while malolactic fermentation was deliberately delayed and carried out in oak to draw out the vineyard’s structural character. The wine then spent two years and eight months in large Slavonian oak.

Fossati’s hallmark is freshness within structure: blackberry and cherry, rose, pepper and savoury mineral notes, carried by fine tannins rather than the broader grip found in Liste.

Cellared Says

Fossati is the most immediately charming of Borgogno’s three 2021 single-vineyard releases. It still has proper Barolo structure, but the sandier soils bring more perfume, brighter fruit and finer tannins. This is the cru to choose for elegance and earlier accessibility, although it will comfortably reward a decade or more in the cellar.

Reviews

“A Piedmont garden just as the morning fog lifts, revealing roses and sun-warmed cherries in your glass.”

94 Points – Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast

Region: Piedmont
Sub Region: Barolo DOCG
Variety: Nebbiolo
Country: Italy
Vintage: 2021

The Wine

Borgogno has been making wine in Barolo since 1761 and remains one of the denomination’s most important traditional estates. Its historic cellars beneath the village hold an extraordinary reserve of mature Barolo, reflecting a philosophy built around slow élevage and long-term development rather than early accessibility. The vineyards have been certified organic since the 2019 harvest.

The 2021 Barolo combines Nebbiolo from five historic MGAs within the commune of Barolo: Cannubi, Cannubi San Lorenzo, Fossati, Liste and San Pietro delle Viole. The vineyards sit between approximately 290 and 370 metres on south- and south-east-facing slopes, rooted in the calcareous clay marls that give Barolo its characteristic perfume, tannin and savoury depth.

Each site contributes something different. Cannubi brings perfume and refinement; Fossati red fruit and freshness; Liste depth and mineral authority. Blending the vineyards creates a complete expression of the Barolo commune rather than the more singular personality of an individual cru.

Following manual harvest, the fruit is destemmed and spontaneously fermented in large concrete tanks for around 15 days. A further 20-day submerged-cap maceration follows, during which malolactic fermentation occurs. The wine then spends more than 24 months in large Slavonian oak before returning to concrete and finally being bottled.

Cellared Says

This is classic Barolo in the original sense: not a second wine, but a considered blend of several exceptional vineyards. It has the perfume and detail expected of the 2021 vintage, supported by proper tannic structure and Borgogno’s restrained, traditional élevage. A strong introduction to the estate and a wine that should evolve beautifully over the next 15 years. Already perfumed and welcoming but will handsomely reward time in the cellar.

Reviews

“A lovely bright nose of raspberries with lavender and a touch of mint. Subtle pepper as well.”

94 Points – James Suckling

“Considerable depth of perfumed fruit… elegant, supple, fragrant raspberry fruit with a dollop of tannins.”

16/20 – Walter Speller, JancisRobinson.com

“Crushed roses and wild berries bring serious old-school charm, with truffles and herbs playing backup.”

92 Points – Jeff Porter, Wine Enthusiast

Region: Piedmont
Sub Region: Langhe DOC – Barolo
Variety: Nebbiolo
Country: Italy
Vintage: 2023

The Wine

Founded in 1761, Borgogno is one of Barolo’s oldest continuously operating estates. Its identity remains firmly traditional: organically farmed vineyards, spontaneous fermentation in concrete and patient maturation in large Slavonian oak rather than small new barrels.

No Name began after a Borgogno wine was rejected by the Barolo tasting commission in 2008. The estate resubmitted the same wine, which was then approved, exposing the inconsistency of the classification process. Borgogno chose to release the original lot without the Barolo name, making the label a quiet protest against bureaucracy and a reminder that the contents of the bottle matter more than its designation.

The Nebbiolo is grown around Barolo on south-, south-east- and south-west-facing vineyards at approximately 370 metres. Calcareous clay marl provides the structure and mineral backbone associated with the commune. The fruit is hand harvested, destemmed and spontaneously fermented in concrete for around 15 days at 22–28°C before spending a little over two years in large Slavonian oak.

Although labelled Langhe Nebbiolo, No Name has considerably more depth and élevage than most wines carrying the denomination. Rose, violet, fresh red fruit and spice lead into a dry, structured palate with firm but increasingly polished tannins.

Cellared Says

This is not simply Borgogno’s entry-level Nebbiolo. It is made with the same traditional mindset as the estate’s Barolo and offers far more structure, maturity and cellar potential than the denomination suggests. For anyone wanting proper Barolo character without moving into Barolo pricing, No Name remains one of the most interesting buys in Piedmont.

Reviews

Independent reviews and scores for the 2023 vintage are still emerging.

Region: Piedmont
Sub Region: Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo DOCG
Variety: Nebbiolo
Country: Italy
Vintage: 2018

The Wine

Founded in 1896, Massolino has long been one of the benchmark estates of Serralunga d'Alba, a commune revered for producing some of Barolo's most structured, age-worthy wines. Now in its sixth generation, the family remains steadfastly traditional, championing long macerations and extended ageing in large Slavonian oak casks to produce wines that speak clearly of site rather than cellar technique. While Massolino's single-vineyard Barolos—Vigna Rionda, Margheria and Parafada—have achieved cult status, their "normale" Barolo is widely regarded as one of Piedmont's greatest values.

The 2018 vintage is particularly fascinating. Rather than bottle their celebrated single-vineyard Barolos, the Massolino family made the difficult decision to declassify the fruit and produce only one Barolo. As a result, this wine contains fruit that would ordinarily have gone into Vigna Rionda, Margheria, Parafada and Parussi—arguably making it one of the greatest "classic" Barolos the estate has ever released.

Fruit is sourced predominantly from mature vineyards across Serralunga d'Alba, where compact calcareous marl and sandstone soils naturally produce Nebbiolo of depth, tannin and remarkable longevity. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel with extended skin contact before the wine spends approximately 24 months ageing in large Slavonian oak botti. This traditional approach softens the formidable structure of Serralunga Nebbiolo while preserving purity, perfume and the unmistakable mineral character of the commune.

The result is a beautifully classical Barolo that combines floral aromatics, bright red fruit and fine mineral tension with the structure to reward many years in the cellar. It offers a rare opportunity to experience fruit from some of Barolo's greatest crus at a fraction of what those individual bottlings command.

Cellared Says

This is one of those wines that should be on every Barolo lover's radar. The decision not to bottle the single vineyards transformed what is normally Massolino's entry Barolo into something altogether more serious. It's a wonderful example of traditional Barolo from one of Serralunga's finest estates, and for the money, I struggle to think of many wines in Piedmont that offer better value. Buy a six-pack, enjoy one now with a long decant and quietly forget the rest in the cellar for the next decade. This has been professional stored in our cellar since release.

Reviews

"It opens with heady scents of eucalyptus, pine forest, hay, new leather and lilac. Extremely elegant, the savory, vibrant palate exhibits red cherry, juniper berry and star anise set against taut, refined tannins and bright acidity."

96 Points – Kerin O'Keefe, Wine Enthusiast

"Pure, yet savory, with a stony, mineral punch to the orange peel, strawberries and dried herbs... elegant but gutsy flavors of minerals and fruit, together with firm tannins that show Barolo etherealness and power at the same time."

94 Points – James Suckling

"The 2018 Barolo offers a classic interpretation of Serralunga d'Alba with big structure, ample but contained power and lots of black fruit and licorice... aged in large oak casks for 24 months."

93 Points – Monica Larner, Robert Parker Wine Advocate

"The 2018 Barolo is the only Barolo Massolino bottled in this vintage... Sweet dried cherry, mint, tobacco, spice, licorice and rose petal all open effortlessly in the glass... an absolutely lovely wine to savor over the next 10–15 years."

92 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Region: Barolo
Sub Region: Cannubi Boschis
Variety: Nebbiolo
Country: italy
Vintage: 2021

The Wine

The name of the wine may have changed, but Sandrone’s flagship Barolo is still, and will remain, 100% Cannubi Boschis, the Barolo vineyard synonymous with this grower. The Boschis subzone sits near the northern end of the Cannubi hill directly across from the Sandrone cellars. Sandrone farms 1.9 hectares of 40-year-old vines in the Cru, which has a particularly good south and southeast exposure in a small amphitheatre or “conca” that helps hold warmth in the early morning. Its soils are sea deposits of calcareous clay with sand and, therefore, have excellent drainage.

Highlighting the uniqueness of the wines from this terroir compared to the rest of the Cannubi hill, Alessandro Masnaghetti’s L’Enciclopedia delle Grandi Vigne del Barolo writes: “The wines, in general, have good body, much elegance, and more polished tannins than other Cannubi wines.” The winemaking is identical to Le Vigne, aside from a little longer on skins. While both are extraordinary, the stylistic contrast is clear as day. Where Le Vigne is lifted and perfumed, arcing towards the sky, Aleste is of the earth: a deeper, darker, textured and yet more mineral Barolo.

Sandwiched between two classical vintages, the beautifully scented and textured 2020 Aleste is a lesson in harmony, youthful generosity and flesh. It’s not as structured as 2019 and possesses slightly less core intensity than 2021.  Instead, we have an almost Gevrey-like Barolo of aromatic complexity and a palate offering layered flavours of marasca cherry, dark stones and spice complemented by long, gentle tannins. Class before power and a wine of great finesse.

Cellared Says

The 2021 more than lives up to the hype, with layers of flavour and an extra-dimensional lift through the mid-palate that just keeps building. Before long, you’ll be reaching for the credit card for another bottle. Blimey, this is extraordinary.

Reviews

“The 2021 Barolo Aleste is off-the-charts gorgeous. Vertical and explosive in the glass, with tremendous energy, the 2021 possesses unbelievable richness married to vibrant energy. Plum, black cherry, gravel, lavender and mocha soar out of the glass. Readers will find a Barolo of stature and breeding.”

98 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

With fruit from the Cannubi Boschis vineyard, the 2021 Barolo Aleste is a lavish and beautiful expression with dark fruit, spice, licorice, cola and blue flower. The house style is always fruit-forward and bold at the Sandrone family estate, but you can also count on the wines to show excellent contouring with oak spice, soft richness and texture thanks to expertly applied tonneaux aging. The balance is impeccable. Production is 10,000 bottles."

97 points, Monica Larner - Robert Parker Wine Advocate

Region: Barolo DOCG, Piedmont

Producer
One of Barolo’s quiet icons. Luciano Sandrone built his reputation as a moderniser in the 1980s—combining silky tannins and earlier drinkability with a deep respect for vineyard expression. Today, his brother Luca and daughter Barbara continue the legacy, crafting wines that have edged ever closer to classical restraint while maintaining their hallmark purity and polish. Le Vigne remains the estate’s calling card—a multi-cru Barolo that celebrates the whole of the region, not just one site.

Winemaking
Le Vigne is a blend of four top sites—Baudana in Serralunga, Villero in Castiglione, Vignane in Barolo, and Merli in Novello. Twenty-twenty-one was the second year to include Nebbiolo from Sandrone’s new holding in Le Coste di Monforte. Like Aleste, approximately 20-30% of the grapes fermented as whole-bunches, with a very high percentage of whole berries in the destemmed portion (thanks to a state-of-the-art destemmer). Each is vinified separately, then aged for 24 months in large French oak (mostly neutral) before being blended and held in bottle for over a year prior to release. It’s a meticulous, low-intervention process—native yeast, gentle extraction, no fining or filtration—that delivers structure without excess weight.

Cellared Says

Always a standout wine and a personal favourite, the “legendary” 2021 vintage brings added depth, complexity and intensity to an already compelling release. A no-brainer for the cellar.

Reviews

“I always have special affection for this wine, and between the Aleste and Le Vigne, this is my preferred bottle. I love the brightness and focus of the fruit, the pretty complexity and the rich mouthfeel. The fruit aromas are laced with licorice, cola and spice. The high notes are quite apparent in this excellent vintage. I came back to taste this wine 24 hours later and found those notes to be just as intense and beautiful.”

97+ points, Monica Larner, The Wine Advocate

“The 2021 Barolo Le Vigne is a classy, seamless wine. Crushed flowers, bright red-toned fruit, blood orange, mint, spice and kirsch open gracefully in the glass. This is such an elegant, sophisticated Barolo. The recent shift of sites to Serralunga and Monforte, along with longer ferments, has transformed the Le Vigne into a darker, more somber wine, while the inclusion of stems in some lots adds aromatic dimension. Le Vigne is a wine in movement.”

97+ points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous

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: Barolo, Piedmont
Variety: Nebbiolo
Vintage: 2021
Country: Italy

The Wine

Pio Cesare’s Mosconi is a newer single-vineyard bottling than Ornato, first released with the 2015 vintage, but it has already established itself as one of the estate’s most important cru wines. Where Ornato channels the stricter, more linear personality of Serralunga, Mosconi comes from Monforte d’Alba and speaks with a broader, more expansive voice — still structured, still serious, but often more textural and enveloping in style.

The wine is sourced from the family’s holdings in the celebrated Mosconi cru, including some very old Nebbiolo vines planted in 1947 and 1971 at roughly 390 metres elevation. That old-vine material gives the wine a slow-building intensity and real inner depth. Fruit is softly crushed and destemmed, fermented in stainless steel, and left on skins for more than 30 days before maturation in large oak and a modest proportion of French oak. It is a regime designed to preserve fruit authority and vineyard character while shaping the tannins into something noble rather than aggressive.

Mosconi is one of Monforte’s great sites for Barolo, and Pio Cesare’s expression of it leans into that grandeur. There is breadth here, but it is disciplined breadth — not heaviness. In 2021, with its long, steady season and classical ripening curve, the wine captures both the natural muscle of the vineyard and the finesse of the vintage.

Cellared Says

Mosconi always feels a touch more expansive and seductive than Ornato, but this is still profoundly serious Barolo. There is richness here, yes, but also lift, savoury nuance and a tannin profile that feels sculpted rather than imposed. And again, the vintage is central to the story. 2021 in Barolo is shaping as a generational release because it delivered that rare overlap of structure, fruit weight and finesse. These are wines with decades ahead of them, but they are not buried behind austerity. That is what makes them so exciting. Mosconi shows the warmer, more ample side of great Barolo in 2021, but with superb control and freshness.

Wine Reviews

“A structured and layered Barolo showing aromas of red and dark cherries, orange peel and spice. Full-bodied with firm, polished tannins and a long, persistent finish. Built for ageing.”
96 points, James Suckling

Galloni notes dark red fruit, iron, white pepper, incense, tobacco, licorice, dried herbs and rose petal, praising the balance between Mosconi’s natural power and Pio Cesare’s classical restraint.
96 points, Vinous, Antonio Galloni

Region: Barolo, Piedmont
Variety: Nebbiolo
Vintage: 2021
Country: Italy

The Wine

Founded in Alba in 1881, Pio Cesare is one of Piedmont’s great historic names, a house that has helped define the modern reputation of both Barolo and Barbaresco while remaining family-owned across five generations. The estate style has always leaned toward refinement over excess — traditional enough to preserve the authority of Nebbiolo, yet polished enough to bring precision and drinkability to wines built for the long haul.

Ornato was the first single-vineyard Barolo released by the family, first bottled in 1985, and it remains one of the estate’s benchmark crus. The vineyard sits in Serralunga d’Alba, one of Barolo’s most revered communes, where compact soils, elevation and exposure routinely produce wines of deeper structure, darker mineral character and exceptional longevity. Pio Cesare farms three plots within Ornato, at around 400 metres above sea level, on limestone and clay-rich soils that give the wine both density and tension.

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel with extended skin contact, followed by long ageing in large oak casks, with a smaller proportion in French oak. The result is a Barolo of authority rather than flash — layered, tightly wound and built around tannin architecture, savoury complexity and site expression. The 2021 season was a later, more classical growing year, with a cold winter, healthy water reserves and slow, even ripening, delivering wines with real concentration, freshness and poise.

Cellared Says

This is proper Serralunga Barolo — darker, sterner and more architectural than many commune blends, but in 2021 it carries that power with an unusual level of polish. You get the depth and iron-edged structure Ornato is known for, but also clarity, perfume and a real sense of completeness. That is what makes 2021 such a landmark Barolo vintage. The top wines combine the structure and cellar-worthiness of the great years with more openness, fruit purity and finesse than old-school Barolo drinkers would normally expect at this stage. For me, 2021 is one of those vintages collectors will look back on as a modern benchmark — serious, ageworthy and yet immediately compelling. Ornato is right in that sweet spot.

Wine Reviews

“A juicy and fruity wine,” with round, polished tannins and excellent length.
98 points, James Suckling

From the historic slopes of Serralunga d'Alba's Cascina Ornato, where Pio Cesare's single vineyard journey began in 1985, emerges a titan of Barolo. Like an ancient tale told in hushed tones, this powerhouse unfolds with brooding dark fruits while star anise and juniper berries weave their spicy narrative through waves of dried black currants. The wine commands attention with mountainous structure and an earthy finale that echoes through time. This is Serralunga's masculine soul captured in a bottle, promising decades of storytelling ahead. Drink from 2028.
97 points, Jeff Porter - Wine Advocate

Galloni highlights dark-toned fruit, gravel, incense, licorice and scorched earth, calling it a classic Serralunga expression with notable balance.
97 points, Vinous, Antonio Galloni