Pio Cesare

Pio Cesare > Barbera d'Alba Fides Vigna Mosconi DOC

Pio Cesare Barbera d'Alba Fides Vigna Mosconi DOC

Piemonte, Italy

Vintage:2021 (Current)

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Pio Cesare Barbera d'Alba Fides Vigna Mosconi DOC 2021
  • WA 92
  • VFTC 91+
  • WS 90

Reviews

Wine Spectator 90 Points April 30, 2025, Bruce Sanderson

Though elegant, this red reveals density and intensity, along with focused flavors of tart cherry, blackberry, mineral and spices. Still a bit compact on the finish, yet the fruit pushes through. Drink now through 2030.

View From the Cellar 91+ Points August 2024, John Gilman

The 2021 Barbera d’Alba Superiore “Fides” bottling from Pio Cesare is an excellent example of this single vineyard cuvée from vines in Monforte d’Alba. The wine comes in at 14.5 percent alcohol in this vintage and offers up a deep and complex bouquet of black cherries, sweet dark berries, a touch of road tar, dark soil tones, hung game, fresh oregano, cigar smoke and a lovely framing of smoky oak. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and quite suave on the attack, with a fine core of black fruit, a good base of soil, firm, well-integrated tannins and lovely length and grip on the well balanced and complex finish. Though this carries the same alcohol level as the 2022 Barbara normale bottling, there is no hint of backend heat here. Just give it a bit of time in the cellar to soften up properly. 2029-2050.

The Wine Advocate 92 Points August 2023, Monica Larner

Fruit for this wine is sourced from an excellent site in Monforte d’Alba. The Pio Cesare 2021 Barbera d’Alba Superiore Vigna Mosconi Fides (with 9,924 bottles and 100 magnums on the market) is dark in color and rich and concentration. The wine offers a soft texture with plenty of dark fruit and blackberry. Those bleed nicely into sweet spice and light toast over a full-bodied finish.

Overview

The Pio Cesare family’s unique winemaking method stresses minimal intervention to produce wines of particularly supple flavor expression. A ceaseless devotion to the individuality of each of the region’s wines informs Pio Cesare's choices in the cellar: shorter maceration, separate lot fermentation, judicious selection for barrel and large cask aging, and bottling schedules determined by the ideal structure of each wine. This allows Pio Cesare to craft wines of varying weight, ageability and drinkability as determined by the vineyard rather than market fashion.

Year after year, the wines of Pio Cesare are recognized for their consistency and regional expression. From world-class Barolo and Barbaresco to crisp Cortese and sweet Moscato, the wines of Pio Cesare offer exceptional quality and variety.

Winemaking

The pinnacle of Pio Cesare's Barbera range, fruit for this single-vineyard Barbera Superiore is sourced from the family-owned Mosconi vineyard in Monforte d'Alba, first produced in the 2017 vintage. “Fides”, or “faith” in Latin, continues to represent the great longtime faith of our family in the Barbera grapes planted and grown in very prestigious areas.

Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. There is skin contact maceration for 30 days. Right after the drawing off, the wine rests 20 months in oak "botti", while a small amount rests in French oak barrels. Extremely low yields combined with a strict grape selection result in a very small production.

Tasting Notes

Full body, balance and concentration. Ripe fruit with a spicy edge. Can be laid down for a very long life in the cellar.

Technical Information

Varietals: 100% Barbera