Robert B

9.1

I really liked the 2022 but the 2023 is just lovely. Blackberry and bramble on the nose, blackberry, leather and spice finishing in cocoa and oak. Couldn’t stop drinking it after having with pasta and marinara. — a month ago

Jerry Clayton

9.4

Very nice and right. — 9 months ago

Dimes

9.0

Better than S but just slightly — 2 years ago

Kevin McHugh

8.9

Citrus and green apple are the dominant notes, above average acidity. — 3 years ago

Vicki Baumgarten

8.9

We loved this 2021. It was great with Our premium burgers. — 4 months ago

with Bev

Ray Vanderhoff

8.9

Classic Zinfandel aged in charred bourbon barrels. Dark purple (almost black) color. Aromas of black cherry, cola and Smokey vanilla. Bold dark berry fruit on the palate with bright notes of baking spices and vanilla. The finish is quite long and the tannins quite soft. Juicy and rich. Great accompaniment to smoked meats, especially the Armadillo eggs Mark S served with this wine. Thanks for sharing, Mark. — 2 years ago

Raquel Sanabria

9.1

Very balanced — 3 years ago

John Bratincevic

9.0

Herbal, dry, good acidity — tremendous value on discount ($7 a bottle!!). 89+….let’s say 90 to be neighborly. I should buy another case or two. — 6 months ago

Heath & Johanna VanDeLinder

9.2

Silky with soft front end, full bodied, nice color, smooth finish. Imbalanced oak overtones. Nice wine under $20. — 8 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Cascina Ornato is located in the southern portion of Serralunga d’Alba, right along the ridge. The elevation is higher here and the Ornato MGA falls to the west and south from there. Ornato is nearly a monopole for Pio Cesare would it not be for a couple of parcels that are controlled by Palladino. This bottle of the 1982 was generously provided from the cellar of a good friend; it was opened and enjoyed over two days. On Day 1, half the bottle was poured into a decanter and served immediately. The color was a slightly hazy garnet with an orange rim. On the nose and the palate, the wine came across rather tired. It wasn’t dead…and it definitely wasn’t vinegar, it just was...a bit dull. Since there were other wines open that were showing very well, we let it sit. At the end of the night, we poured what was left back into the bottle and I elected to take it home; hoping that it might wake up overnight. On Day 2, the wine had transformed. The color had deepened and everything had brightened up! The nose is loaded with tar, desiccated red fruits, sweet pipe tobacco accompanied by porchini, forest floor and dried, cracked leather ball glove…like after pitching 6 innings of baseball in the middle of July (IYKYK). On the palate, the wine is dry with surprisingly vigorous structure! The tannins are more pronounced than they were the day before and there’s also great acid to give everything a buoyant lift and some youthful energy. The fruit and non-fruit notes from the nose are confirmed with an added element of red rope licorice. Somehow, this is younger today than it was yesterday. At forty years old, this bottle clearly needed time to stretch its legs. Drink now with several hours of air but remarkably well-cellared examples could last for many more years. An illuminating experience in so many ways!

Something worth noting: Pio Cesare did not begin bottling single-cru Barolo “Oranato” until 1985. Curiously, this bottle was labeled “Vino da Tavola del Piemonte”. I reached out to Pio Cesare in hopes of getting some additional information and they were very kind to share some helpful detail. It turns out this bottling was an idea from their former importer, Terlato, with grapes for this wine sourced by Cascina Ornato. It was a traditional blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera! A long time ago they had a small amount of Barbera planted there. Now, Ornato is more or less 100% Nebbiolo. The “Vino da Tavola del Piemonte” was a sort of predecessor to the “Langhe Rosso” designation since there were not many appellations back in those days. The more you know!
— 3 years ago