Pio Cesare Chardonnay 'Piodilei' 2023

This structured and 'crystalline' white wine originates from Italy, within the Langhe D.O.C. appellation of the premium Piedmont region. Pioneered by the legendary Pio Cesare estate a historic benchmark house founded in 1881 in the city of Alba this bottling represents a revolutionary milestone in Italian white viticulture. First conceived by the visionary Pio Boffa and released with the 1985 vintage, "Piodilei" (translating to "Pio for her") was crafted as a dedicated tribute to the strong-willed, resolute women of the family. At a time when Piedmont was almost exclusively dedicated to historic red Nebbiolo production, the estate boldy sought to prove that the high-elevation, limestone-heavy terroirs of the Langhe could produce a world-class white wine with the body, complexity, and profound structural longevity of a great Grand Cru Burgundy.

Wine Description

The 2023 Pio Cesare 'Piodilei' Chardonnay presents a brilliant, intense straw-yellow color in the glass detailed by youthful greenish reflections. Its sensory profile is exceptionally elegant, deep, and high-toned, opening with a bold, multi-faceted bouquet of baked orchard fruits, honeysuckle, and lemon zest, seamlessly layered with fragrant notes of roasted hazelnut, vanilla bean, warm brioche, and a distinct line of flinty mineral smoke. On the palate, the wine is medium-to-full-bodied, compact, and texturally rich, showcasing a solid, concentrated core of juicy golden apples, lemon curd, and cream. It is characterized by its outstanding inner energy and a vibrant backbone of crisp natural acidity that perfectly defines the wine's rich, buttery phenolic stuffing. The mouthfeel is sleek, expansive, and slightly oily, driven by a light, chalky mineral tension that carries into a remarkably long, savory finish highlighted by a saline crunch, delicate baking spices, and beautifully integrated French oak wood.

This precise white expression is crafted from 100% Chardonnay, sourced from low-yielding, heritage estate plots occupying the coolest, highest exposures in the Langhe:

• Il Bricco Vineyard (Treiso): Located in the heart of the Barbaresco zone, where the family's oldest Chardonnay blocks were originally planted in 1981, bringing deep minerality and chiseled definition.

• Mosconi Vineyard (Monforte d'Alba): A prestigious, high-elevation Barolo location introduced to the blend in 2019 to provide muscle, golden fruit weight, and texturing pressure.

The fully ripened grapes were hand-harvested at optimal physiological maturity. Following a gentle pneumatic pressing, the juice initiated alcoholic fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats before being transferred to finish fermentation inside French oak barriques (one-third brand new with a delicate, light toast). The wine completed a full malolactic conversion to soften its alpine edges and was matured sur lies with extensive lees contact for 8 months in the barrels to develop its signature creamy roundness. Bypassing any heavy, oxidative over-extraction, the wine reached an alcohol content (ABV) of 13.5% and was finished bone-dry with a minimal residual sugar content of 1.11 g/L. It was matured for an additional 9 months in horizontally laid bottles prior to commercial release.