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Pio Cesare Barolo Chinato

$9999

Barolo Chinato exists in the liminal space between wine and digestif—a resurrected tradition that Pio Cesare revived after a 60-year hiatus. Barolo, infused with chinchona barks and aromatic herbs (gentian, rhubarb, cardamom, orange, cinnamon), emerges as dark amber alchemy rich as Christmas cake. Mountain herbs, cinnamon, molasses, and a spray of orange zest create an experience both comforting and revelatory. The wine to pour as evening descends.

Shipping

Every step of the journey is managed to uphold the integrity of each bottle.

  • Nationwide Access: Flat-rate shipping available to most U.S. states with delivery in 3-5 business days.
  • Temperature-Monitored Shipping: We closely monitor weather conditions and make informed decisions to ensure shipments travel safely, with insulated packaging and refrigerated transport available when required.
  • Wine-Specific Protective Packaging: Specialized materials designed to maintain label integrity and prevent breakage during transit.
  • Provenance Assured: All wines are maintained in climate-controlled conditions at our shop until the moment of dispatch.

Returns & Exchanges

We stand behind every bottle we sell.

  • If the wine is less than 10 years old and it is corked, you may return it to us for a full refund or exchange within 60 days of purchase. You must show us proof of purchase. We understand that you may not live near a shop and that it is difficult to ship open bottles of wine to us, so if there's any problem feel free to Contact Us and we'll work it out.
  • For wines older than 10 years, the consumer bears the risk of a faulty cork, but we accept returns of older bottles if the wine is faulty as a result of improper storage. Please come by the store or Contact Us if there is a problem.
  • We may, at our discretion and to the extent permitted by law, accept returns of unopened wines within 30 days of purchase if they were properly stored by the purchaser, subject to a 15% re-stocking fee.

View our complete return policy →

Have Questions?

Our team is here to help.

Hours

Monday - Friday: 11am - 8pm

Saturday: 12pm - 5pm

CLOSED SUNDAYS

Email: help@flatiron-wines.com
Phone: (415) 780-1405


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Robert Parker

94 points

"The Pio Cesare NV Barolo Chinato pours from the bottle with a dark amber color with shiny chestnut highlights. This fortified digestif shows amazing purity and intensity, with aromas that you can list and identify clearly one by one. There is balsam and medicinal herb with minty cough syrupy, cola and candied orange peel. With time, you might also sense some Moroccan spice or toasted Spanish cedarwood. The alcohol content is registered at 16% although it surely feels much higher. Balanced sweetness wraps smoothly over the palate. I'm never quite sure how to assign a drinking window to Barolo Chinato, and it is ostensibly built to last forever." —Monica Larner

More about Pio Cesare

Without question someone who deserves credit as one of the first to widely promote the wines of Barolo is Cesare Pio. A successful businessman, he purchased land and vineyards in what is now the Serralunga d’Alba subzone in 1881 and began making wine for his friends and family.

The winery expanded quickly and by the turn of the century Cesare was spending many months on the road, travelling throughout Europe to promote Barolo to anyone he could gain an audience with. His son Giuseppe further expanded the winery and subsequent generations continued the tradition of expansion and global promotion.

Fast forward 100 years and by the 1990’s Pio Cesare was easily one of the most recognizable and successful wineries in Piedmont, with their wine being poured in restaurants and luxury hotels all over the world. At about the same time the winery began to embrace “modernism” with gusto.

The trend of heavy extraction and new oak is fading now, which is great news for those of us who like the old-school approach! Of course, the straight Barolo Classico has always been traditional, but the single vineyard bottlings are now also shedding the richness and oak spice of the last 20 years and allowing the glorious terroir of Serralunga d’Alba to shine through.

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Nebbiolo

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Sustainable

  • Style

    Earthy , Fruity , Spicy

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Medium Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Tasting Profile


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