Pio Cesare Fides Barbera d'Alba 2015
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James Suckling
This is really splendid Barbera with incredible depth and intensity. Full-bodied, layered and ripe with gorgeous density and freshness at the same time. There is also a fresh backbone of acidity.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Fruit for the 2015 Barbera d'Alba Fides comes from the Colombaro vineyard (where Chardonnay is also planted) in Serralunga d'Alba. In fact, these vineyards are legally registered to produced Barolo and the name Fides ("faith") is a nod to the hope and promise placed in the Barbera grape. This is a three-hectare plot that makes some 7,000 bottles per year. Yields are very low. The vines were planted in 1992 and the clone produces smaller berries and clusters. Indeed, the wine's appearance is impenetrable and black as a result. The bouquet is full and generous, and the wine reveals its big bones in terms of mouthfeel.
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Wine Spectator
A solid, muscular style, displaying blackberry, plum, bittersweet chocolate and violet notes. Balanced, with a firm finish, but needs time to show all the facets. Best from 2018 through 2024.
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Pio Cesare has been producing wine for more than 100 years and through generations. The tradition began in 1881, when Pio Cesare started gathering grapes in his vineyards and purchasing those of some selected and reliable farmers in the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco districts.
At Pio Cesare, there has always been a conviction that great wine can come only from the finest grapes and the winery's output has always been limited through adherence to the highest standards. Pio Cesare limits its production by using only the most mature and healthy grapes. The ripening of the grapes is carefully monitored and the harvest is rigidly controlled with each grape selected by hand.
Today, the estate is managed by Pio Boffa, great-grandson of Pio Cesare. Under his stewardship, the wines of Pio Cesare have become famous throughout the world. Great strides have been made in quality, and single vineyard offerings have dazzled the wine press.
Friendly and approachable, Barbera produces wines in a wide range of styles, from youthful, fresh and fruity to serious, structured and age-worthy. Piedmont is the most famous source of Barbera; those from Asti and Alba garner the most praise. Barbera actually can adapt to many climates and enjoys success in some New World regions. Somm Secret—In the past it wasn’t common or even accepted to age Barbera in oak but today both styles—oaked and unoaked—abound and in fact most Piedmontese producers today produce both styles.
An historic village situated right in between the famous regions of Barolo and Barbaresco, Alba is also the name for the larger wine region surrounding the village.
In a sense, “Alba” is a catch-all phrase, and includes the declassified Nebbiolo wines made in Barolo and Barbaresco, as well as the Nebbiolo grown just outside of these regions’ borders. In fact, Nebbiolo d’Alba is a softer, less tannic and more fruit-forward wine ready to drink within just a couple years of bottling. It is a great place to start if you want to begin to understand the grape. Likewise, the even broader category of Langhe Nebbiolo offers approachable and value-driven options as well.
Barbera, planted alongside Nebbiolo in the surrounding hills, and referred to as Barbera d’Alba, takes on a more powerful and concentrated personality compared to its counterparts in Asti.
Dolcetto is ubiquitous here and, known as Dolcetto d'Alba, can be found casually served alongside antipasti on the tables of Alba’s cafes and wine bars.
Not surprisingly, given its location, Alba is recognized as one of Italy’s premiere culinary destinations and is the home of the fall truffle fair, which attracts visitors from worldwide every year.