Pio Cesare
Pio Cesare's first single-vineyard wine, from Nebbiolo in the Ornato cru at Serralunga d'Alba. Aged about two years in large French and Eastern European oak, it is a full-bodied Barolo of tar, rose and red fruit, with firm tannins for the cellar.
Nebbiolo from the Ornato cru at Serralunga d'Alba, aged about two years in large French and Eastern European oak. Expect rose, tar and red fruit over firm, fine-grained tannins.
Classic Nebbiolo aromatics lead with rose petal, red cherry and the tar that marks Serralunga Barolo. Bottle age and the warm Ornato site add violet, dried herbs, leather, truffle and a graphite-like mineral edge.
Rose petal
Violet
Cherry
Plum
Tobacco
Tar
Forest Floor
Leather
LiquoriceMedium to full bodied, with the firm, fine-grained tannins Ornato draws from its calcareous-clay marl at almost 400 metres. Red and black cherry, plum, liquorice and tar are framed by vibrant acidity and the spine from about two years in large French and Eastern European oak.
Long and persistent, closing on tar, mineral and a slightly astringent grip that signals real cellar potential.
Pio Cesare's first single-vineyard wine and a benchmark Serralunga Barolo, made in small quantities since 1985. Vivino drinkers rate it around 4.3, praising its balance and structure over the estate's other cuvees; built for the table and the cellar rather than early casual drinking.
Pio Cesare has made Ornato in small quantities since its 1985 debut, so UK availability is thin. Live listings below cover the 2014, 2020 and 2021 from specialist merchants.
A benchmark Serralunga Barolo: structured and cellar-worthy, a classic Nebbiolo expression that asks for the table rather than the aperitivo hour.
Barolo DOCG ageing rules, Serralunga tannin and the producer's very-long-life framing point to two or three decades.
Nebbiolo's firm tannin and bright acidity are built for rich Piedmontese braises, truffle and aged cheese.
A prestige single-vineyard Barolo from a landmark 1881 house, made for special occasions.
A faithful Nebbiolo, but its firm young tannins and three-figure price suit experienced drinkers more than newcomers.
Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.
A compact view of what the Barolo denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.
Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.
Serralunga gives Ornato its power, but the season still shapes the wine. The 2021 is the dense, age-worthy vintage to cellar, the 2020 is balanced, and the 2014 came from a cooler year and drinks now.
An outstanding, classically structured Piedmont vintage. The 2021 is dense and mineral, with assertive fine-grained tannins and vibrant acidity that promise two to three decades of ageing.
A warm, balanced vintage giving an approachable Ornato. Ripe and structured, it can be enjoyed now after decanting or cellared for up to three decades.
A cooler, classically styled Piedmont vintage. The 2014 Ornato is medium to full bodied with polished tannins and mature aromas of cherry, tar, leather and truffle, and is drinking well now.
Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.
Ornato comes from owned Nebbiolo parcels at almost 400 metres on calcareous-clay marl, hand-tended and made in small volumes, then held about two years in oak before release.
Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.
Barolo is in the DOCG tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.
Barolo falls within Piedmont , covering Cuneo, Langhe: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d'Alba, La Morra, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Diano d'Alba, Cherasco, Roddi. The denomination is further divided into 11 sub-zones.
Fruit comes only from Pio Cesare's owned micro-parcels in the Ornato cru, one of Serralunga's most prized sites, capping volumes and lifting cost above blended Barolo.
Vines on compact calcareous-clay marl at nearly 400 metres are worked and picked by hand, raising labour cost per bottle.
Long ageing in large oak casks, with a small part in French barriques, ties up cellar space and barrels for years before the wine is sold.
Pio Cesare has made Ornato in small quantities since 1985, so scarcity and a 40-year track record support the 85 to 119 pound UK shelf price.
UK duty of 2.67 pounds on still wine up to 15% plus 20% VAT adds roughly 20 pounds of tax to a 100 pound Ornato before the retailer's margin.
Founded in 1881 and estate-bottled, Pio Cesare is one of the Langhe's most recognised producers, and that reputation carries a premium over lesser-known Serralunga names.
Dishes that complement this wine
Ornato's firm tannins and dried-herb, tar and red-fruit character lock onto braised red meat, white-truffle pasta and aged Alpine cheese. The pairings below explain the match.
Long-braised beef and veal carry soft collagen and fat that bind Nebbiolo's firm, fine-grained tannin, so the wine reads as silkier while the dish gains savoury lift. This is Ornato's home match in its own region.
Try with: Brasato al Barolo · Ossobuco alla Milanese · Bollito dei Pastori · Beef stew · More pairings →
The forest-floor, truffle and dried-herb tertiary aromas Nebbiolo develops mirror fresh Alba white truffle and porcini, an aroma bridge that makes egg-rich tajarin and risotto taste of the same Langhe hills as the wine.
Try with: Tajarin al Tartufo · Tagliatelle al tartufo di Acqualagna · Truffle risotto · Porcini mushroom risotto · More pairings →
Ornato's acidity and tannin scrub the fat and salt of aged hard cheese, while its red-fruit depth answers the nutty, crystalline texture of a well-matured wheel.
Try with: Pecorino sardo e pan carasau · aged Castelmagno · Parmigiano Reggiano · More pairings →
Full body, savoury depth and dark-fruit weight let Ornato stand up to the iron and richness of game and Sunday roasts, where lighter reds would be flattened.
Try with: Venison Stew · Roast Pheasant · Roast Lamb with Mint Sauce · Sunday Roast Beef · More pairings →
The wine's vibrant acidity refreshes the buttery, cheese-bound texture of a Milanese or pumpkin risotto, while its earthy edge meets the savoury notes of saffron and bitter radicchio.
Try with: Risotto alla Milanese · Radicchio risotto · Pumpkin risotto · More pairings →
High tannin and alcohol amplify chilli heat and turn aggressive against delicate raw fish, so keep Ornato away from fiery curries, numbing Sichuan spice and sushi, where a chilled Gavi or an aromatic Alto Adige Gewurztraminer copes far better.
Skip with: Vindaloo · Szechuan beef · Sushi · Ceviche · Pairing guide →
A Barolo of very long life, made since 1985 in small quantities. The 2021 promises two to three decades; decant young bottles and serve at 16 to 18 degrees.
Peak around 2034. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.
A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.
Barolo DOCG ageing rules, Serralunga tannin and the producer's very-long-life framing point to two or three decades.
£85.10 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.
Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 14:41 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.
Confidence · HighDrawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.
Confidence · MediumFrom the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.
Confidence · HighOur reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.
Confidence · MediumStyle guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.
Confidence · MediumOrnato is 100% Nebbiolo, grown in micro-parcels in the Ornato cru at Serralunga d'Alba. It was Pio Cesare's first single-vineyard wine, first released with the 1985 vintage.
Recent vintages drink well from about six years after harvest and can cellar for two to three decades. The structured 2021 rewards keeping; the cooler 2014 is already approachable.
Its firm Serralunga tannins and savoury depth suit brasato al Barolo, tajarin with white truffle, braised veal and aged Piedmontese cheese. Drinkers also reach for it with game and roast lamb.
The Nebbiolo ferments with a long maceration on the skins in stainless steel, then ages about 24 months in large French and Eastern European oak casks, with a small part in French barriques, before a long spell in bottle.
The Ornato cru sits at almost 400 metres in Serralunga d'Alba on compact calcareous-clay marl. Its south-facing amphitheatre catches full sun from morning to late afternoon, giving a powerful, long-lived Barolo.
UK retailers currently list the 2014, 2020 and 2021. The 2021 is the structured vintage to cellar, the 2020 is balanced and approachable, and the mature 2014 is ready to drink now.
G.D. Vajra
4 retailers
From
£28.25
Domenico Clerico
4 retailers
From
£44.71
£52.18
3 retailers
From
£49.75
La Spinetta
3 retailers
From
£101.09
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