Arnt Egil Nordlien
Arnt Egil Nordlien
Some thoughts after a tasting.
Cesanese is a italian blue grape indigenous to the Ciociaria hills around 60 kilometers southeast of Roma in the region of Lazio. In these hills there are three small wine-areas:
Cesanese di Affile DOC from the highest vineyards. Nowadays abandoned. No wine has been made using this DOC for many years.
Cesanese di Olevano romano DOC made with wines from the municipalities of Olevano romano and Genazzano. Production is snamll, but some is made.
Cesanese del Piglio which became Lazios first DOCG from the 2008-vintage. Made from the municipalities of Acuto, Anagni, Paliano, Piglio and Serrone.
It was a surprise to many that Cesanese del Piglio was elected to DOCG, being a rather unknown wine-area and having produced wine of rather uneven quality. That said, the election was made after a collective leap in quality. The producers, lead by Casale della Ioria, decided to take certain actions as lowering yields, renewing wine-making-techniques and concentrating more on the qualitatively better clones of the Cesanese-grape. Officially there are two clones of the grape: Cesanese di Affile (not to be confused with the DOC-area) and Cesanese comune. The Affile-variety is highly superior to the comune. The Affile has very small berries with little juice, small seeds and thick skins. The resulting juice is full of colour, sugars and tannins. After having a talk with several producers at this tasting in Oslo I found out that there probably are many more subvarieties and mutations of Cesanese. The grape is very old and many winemakers have kept selecting their own favorite vines for hundreds of years. There are many smaller or bigger variations from vine to vine and from winery to winery.
Today there are around 160-170 hektar of vineyard in use in the Cesanese del Piglio DOCG. The soil is mostly red or black volcanic. Some parts have a whiter clay. There are 28 registrated producers. Most is made by the cooperative Cantine sociale Cesanese del Piglio, which have the quality-minded Daniele Proietti as winemaker. Proietti also makes the wines of Terre del Cesanese and Pileum. Qualitatively these three firms have been in the foreground together with Casale della Ioria. In Oslo on August 30th-2011 no less than wines from eight producers of Cesanese del Piglio DOCG was present for a tasting, together with several of the wineries. So it gave a very unique chance to get to know this new DOCG. Tasting through 21 wines I found the quality to be a bit uneven. Many wines very well made and certainly of a higher standard than one would expect from Cesanese del Piglio. But few managed to stand out as particularly interesting wines. To me those four mentioned stood out and particularly Casale delle Ioria was in a class of its own with Pileum and Terre del Cesanese as runner-ups.
Most Cesanese del Piglio is made with a high percentage of the Cesanese di Affile-clone. The better producers use most only this. There is some, but careful use of oak as the Cesanese has a natural bitterness in it that doesn’t go well with oak. Some use bigger barrels and some do experiment with barriques. But I did not find wines with intrusive oak. The fruit takes on a particual note of black crowberries or sometimes lighter notes that resembles cranberries and have some spicey notes. Acidity is often in the medium range. There are some tannins on the finish. The biggest problem may be high alcohols. 14-15 is very normal. The wines seem to handle it decently well, but some wines showed ethereal, kirsch-like notes that could have been avoided.
Cesanese del Piglio Pepetto 2008, Casale Verde Luna
I think this was the wine of the tasting with the most Cesanese comune in it. It also had the clearly highest yields. 13% alv/vol. The style here was juicy and fruit. Simple dark fruits on the nose. Medium bodied, juicy and round Cesanese in the mouth. Aged in stell only and has a very pure fruit. Yet this is much lighter and more watery style than any of the other wines. Medim acidity. Little tannins and none of the bitterness in the finish one usually finds in a Cesanese.
Cesanese del Piglio Antigua 2008, Casale Verde Luna
From vineyards in an area named Civitella. 100% Cesanese di affile. High yields for this grape. 13,5% alc/vol. 70% stainless steel, 30% in old tonneaux. This shows some of the same dark fruits on the nose with some more ethereal notes. A little more structured in the mouth. Lighter notes than expected. Cherries. A bit light. Quite fine acidity. Fresher style. Less bitterness and less tannins.
Lazio rosso Vintage 2007
One of two wines served that was not a Cesanese del Piglio. This was a blend of 80% petit verdot and 20% cesanese del affile. Aged in tonneaux. 13,5% alc/vol. Very different on the nose. Showing leather, earth, some rubber. Not as bad as it sounds. Fine enough in the mouth. Round, leathery style. Not very distinct. Medium acids, some tannins in the back.
Cesanese del Piglio Civitella Cru 2007, Casale Verde Luna
100% Cesanese di Affile. Grapes from a selected cru in Civitella. 35% of the juice aged in a mix of French barriques (new and 1 year old), the rest in old slavonian barrels. 14% alc/vol. This has a spicey nose and showing some oak. Also some ethereal notes. Powerful style in the mouth. But quite slick with sweetness from the oak. Medium acidity. Bitter notes on the finish. Tannic end. Fair quality. But I don’t think the oak does the wine any good. It is more noticeable on the nose than in the mouth.
Cesanese del Piglio AMOR 2007, Casale Verde Luna
100% Cesanese di Affile. Low yields. Aged in old slavonian casks. 14,5% alc/vol. Dark colour. Spicey, fruity nose. Hints of black crowberries, anise. Fullbodied Cesanese in the mouth. Lots of fruit. A bit sweetish and simple style. Medium acidity. Some tannins and bitterness in the back. Good wine, although rather simple in style.
Cesanese del Piglio Alagna 2009, Az.agr. Marcella Giuliani
100% Cesanese di Affile. 13,5% alc/vol. Aged in steel. Lots of dark fruits on the nose. Very fruity.But not very clear. Hints of rubber, spirits. Not nice. Juicy and fruity in the mouth. Kirsch-like, dark berries and rubber-notes. Flat taste. Medium acids. Light bitterness on the finish and little tannins. Not good.
Cesanese del Piglio Dives 2005, Az.agr. Marcella Giuliani
100% Cesanese di Affile. 13,5% alc/vol. 12 months in new French barriques. Black fruits on the nose. Oak pretty well-integrated. Round and juicy in the mouth. Very simple style. Slick and some sweetness from the oak. Medium acids. Light bitterness in the finish. Forgettable.
Cesanese del Piglio Hyperius 2008, Soc. Agricola Emme
13% alc/vol. 70% aged in tank, 30% in oak. Dark red colour. Dark berries with some earthy hints on the nose. Medium bodied, again quite juicy and good concentration. Simple, but finer style than the previous wines. Fine acidity here. Some bitterness on the finish. Decent quality.
Cesanese del Piglio superiore Vigneti Massimi Berlucci 2008, Soc. Agricola Emme
The above was what you found on the label. But the producer listed this wine as “Vigne Nuove”. 16,5% alc/vol. 12 months aging in oak. Dried and dark fruits on the nose. Kirsch. Ethereal notes. VA. Huge concentration in the mouth. This producer was not present, but this was quite amarone-like in style. Round and nice enough fruit. Some dried elements. Black crowberries. Some tobacco. Some spice. Low acids in the balance. Dry finish with the tannins showing. Some bitter elements. Good, if you like the style.
Cesanese del Piglio Colle Ticchio 2009, Corte dei Papi
100% Cesanese dei Affile. 13,5% alc/vol. Aged in steel. Unfiltered. Dark berries on the nose. Some anise, minerality. Some rubber. This seemed quite cool and nice on the nose. Clean and clear in the mouth. Easy-going and fruity. Fine acidity. Light tannins and bitterness on the finish. A fine lighter, unoaked and grape-typical Cesanese. Good.
Cesanese del Piglio San Magno 2008, Corte dei Papi
100% Cesanese dei Affile. 14% alc/vol. Aged in barriques, new and old. This shows on the nose. Wood, dark berries. Structured Cesanese in the mouth. Young and tight. The fruit shows the typical hints of black crowberries, also wood. Makes it simpler. This does not shows more. Medium acidity. Tannic end. Probably needs time. Or better, stick with the Colle Ticchio.
Cesanese del Piglio Castellano 2008, Cantina sociale Cesanese del Piglio
100% Cesanese di Affile. 13% Alc/vol. 35 years old vines. Hand-selected. Aged in steel. This has more red fruits on the nose. Some clayish notes. Minerality. Medium bodied in the mouth. Rather simple. But juicy and backed with a fine acidity. Medium tannins and a light and pleasant bitterness on the finish. A crowd-pleaser.
Cesanese del Piglio Superiore de Antiochia 2008, Cantina sociale Cesanese del Piglio
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14% Alc/Vol. Aged in steel and 12 months on old large barrels. Hand-selected grapes. Darker tones in the fruit. More ripeness here. More concentration, fruit and structure in the mouth. Black crowberries, anise. Fruity style. Not too deep, but a clear style. Fine acidity. Some bitterness on the finish. Tannic end. Typical, clear and fine for the price.
Cesanese del Piglio superiore Etichetta Oro 2008, Cantina sociale Cesanese del Piglio
100% Cesanese di Affile. 15% alc/vol. 40-60 years old vines. Hand-selected. Aged in old botte. Dark fruit on the nose. And Kirsch. Lots of spirit-notes. And VA. Powerful, concentrated, ripe, dried fruits. Yet shows typicity. Black crowberries. Medium to good acidity. Some more sweetness in the fruit. Bitterness on the finish and some tannins in the back. Quite big and not more exciting than the Antiochia. Good.
Cesanese del Piglio Trifora 2007, Terre del Cesanese
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14,5% alc/vol. Hand-selected. Aged in old barrels. Unfiltered. Seems cooler than expected. Dark fruits. Fine nose. Anise. Earth. Fullbodied in the mouth. Concentrated fruit. Also finer structure here. Even some minerality. Anise-notes. Better depth. Medium acidity. Dry finish with some bitterness. Tannic. Very good.
Cesanese del Piglio Colle Vignali 2006, Terre del Cesanese
100% Cesanese di Affile. 15% alc/vol. Hand-selected. Aged 24 months on 10 Hl bottle. Unfiltered. Dark colour. The nose is more volatile. Kirsch, dried fruit. In the mouth this is slicker, rounder with concentrated dried fruit. Lots of kirsch-aromas. Lower acidity. Tannic end with the typical bitterness. Fine enough, but the Trifora is better.
Olivella 2010, Casale della Ioria
Here is a strange bottle. This is made from 100% Olivella that is a indigenous grape in the area that has almost died out. Ioria decided to select what they had and make a varietal out of it. Hand-selected grapes. Tank-aged. 11,4% alc/vol. Violet colour. Dark, but transparent. Fruity nose towards boysenberries. Hints of flowers. Light, juicy and clean style in the mouth. Very fruity and simple style. Clear. Good acidity. Very little tannins. Nice flavours, but very uncomplicated. Fun to taste.
Cesanese del Piglio Campo Novo 2009, Casale della Ioria
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14,3% alc/vol. From vineyards of high altitude. Hand-selected. Aged in steel. What strikes me is that this is noticeable lighter in colour than what I have been served before. According to the owners this is due to the selected grapes they have in their vineyards that are different than from other producers. In the nose this has more complexity and more completeness than I have found before. The fruit goes towards cranberries and red berries. It shows mineral elements, tobacco and earth. In the mouth it is a medium bodied Cesanese del Piglio. Complex and pretty fruit. Clear style with fine depth. Cranberries, tobacco, anise. Minerality showing. Fine acidity. Some tannins in the back and the regular bitterness is in its place. Great Cesanese.
Cesanese del Piglio superiore 2008, Casale della Ioria
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14,5% alc/vol. From vineyards of high altitude. Hand-selected. Low yields. Aged 6 months in big botte. Colour equal to the above wine. This shows some darker notes on the nose. Also tobacco. In the mouth this is tighter and more structured. The fruit not as giving as the Campo Novo. Fine fruit. Cranberries, some black crowberries. Anise, tobacco. Needs time to open up more. Fine acidity. Tannic end with the bitterness there. Another great wine that will be even better with another year or two in the cellar.
Cesanese del Piglio 2008, Pileum
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14% alc/vol. Vines more than 50 years old. Aged in steel. Slightly deeper colour than the two from Ioria. Yet this also lighter than all others. Fruitier and clearer style on the nose. Dark crowberries, tobacco. Tight, very clear and fruity in the mouth. Good concentration. More juicey and straightforward. Lacking a little the depth of the Ioria. But great purity here. Fine structure. Medium tannins. Bitterness on the finish. Good wine.
Cesanese del Piglio Bolla Urbano 2007, Pileum
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14,5% alc/vol. Old vines. Aged in large botte. Colour equal to the above wine. The nose shows more perfume. Also cooler fruits. Cranberries, tobacco, floral elements. Again a very pure and precise wine in the mouth. Good concentration. Cooler fruit. Razor-sharp. But also this seems a bit simpler than Ioria. Fine acidity and tannic end. Quite dry finish. Another very good wine from Pileum. They lack the depth of Iorias wines, but seems so razor-sharp and precise in the fruit. Enjoy it for that.
Cesanese is a italian blue grape indigenous to the Ciociaria hills around 60 kilometers southeast of Roma in the region of Lazio. In these hills there are three small wine-areas:
Cesanese di Affile DOC from the highest vineyards. Nowadays abandoned. No wine has been made using this DOC for many years.
Cesanese di Olevano romano DOC made with wines from the municipalities of Olevano romano and Genazzano. Production is snamll, but some is made.
Cesanese del Piglio which became Lazios first DOCG from the 2008-vintage. Made from the municipalities of Acuto, Anagni, Paliano, Piglio and Serrone.
It was a surprise to many that Cesanese del Piglio was elected to DOCG, being a rather unknown wine-area and having produced wine of rather uneven quality. That said, the election was made after a collective leap in quality. The producers, lead by Casale della Ioria, decided to take certain actions as lowering yields, renewing wine-making-techniques and concentrating more on the qualitatively better clones of the Cesanese-grape. Officially there are two clones of the grape: Cesanese di Affile (not to be confused with the DOC-area) and Cesanese comune. The Affile-variety is highly superior to the comune. The Affile has very small berries with little juice, small seeds and thick skins. The resulting juice is full of colour, sugars and tannins. After having a talk with several producers at this tasting in Oslo I found out that there probably are many more subvarieties and mutations of Cesanese. The grape is very old and many winemakers have kept selecting their own favorite vines for hundreds of years. There are many smaller or bigger variations from vine to vine and from winery to winery.
Today there are around 160-170 hektar of vineyard in use in the Cesanese del Piglio DOCG. The soil is mostly red or black volcanic. Some parts have a whiter clay. There are 28 registrated producers. Most is made by the cooperative Cantine sociale Cesanese del Piglio, which have the quality-minded Daniele Proietti as winemaker. Proietti also makes the wines of Terre del Cesanese and Pileum. Qualitatively these three firms have been in the foreground together with Casale della Ioria. In Oslo on August 30th-2011 no less than wines from eight producers of Cesanese del Piglio DOCG was present for a tasting, together with several of the wineries. So it gave a very unique chance to get to know this new DOCG. Tasting through 21 wines I found the quality to be a bit uneven. Many wines very well made and certainly of a higher standard than one would expect from Cesanese del Piglio. But few managed to stand out as particularly interesting wines. To me those four mentioned stood out and particularly Casale delle Ioria was in a class of its own with Pileum and Terre del Cesanese as runner-ups.
Most Cesanese del Piglio is made with a high percentage of the Cesanese di Affile-clone. The better producers use most only this. There is some, but careful use of oak as the Cesanese has a natural bitterness in it that doesn’t go well with oak. Some use bigger barrels and some do experiment with barriques. But I did not find wines with intrusive oak. The fruit takes on a particual note of black crowberries or sometimes lighter notes that resembles cranberries and have some spicey notes. Acidity is often in the medium range. There are some tannins on the finish. The biggest problem may be high alcohols. 14-15 is very normal. The wines seem to handle it decently well, but some wines showed ethereal, kirsch-like notes that could have been avoided.
Cesanese del Piglio Pepetto 2008, Casale Verde Luna
I think this was the wine of the tasting with the most Cesanese comune in it. It also had the clearly highest yields. 13% alv/vol. The style here was juicy and fruit. Simple dark fruits on the nose. Medium bodied, juicy and round Cesanese in the mouth. Aged in stell only and has a very pure fruit. Yet this is much lighter and more watery style than any of the other wines. Medim acidity. Little tannins and none of the bitterness in the finish one usually finds in a Cesanese.
Cesanese del Piglio Antigua 2008, Casale Verde Luna
From vineyards in an area named Civitella. 100% Cesanese di affile. High yields for this grape. 13,5% alc/vol. 70% stainless steel, 30% in old tonneaux. This shows some of the same dark fruits on the nose with some more ethereal notes. A little more structured in the mouth. Lighter notes than expected. Cherries. A bit light. Quite fine acidity. Fresher style. Less bitterness and less tannins.
Lazio rosso Vintage 2007
One of two wines served that was not a Cesanese del Piglio. This was a blend of 80% petit verdot and 20% cesanese del affile. Aged in tonneaux. 13,5% alc/vol. Very different on the nose. Showing leather, earth, some rubber. Not as bad as it sounds. Fine enough in the mouth. Round, leathery style. Not very distinct. Medium acids, some tannins in the back.
Cesanese del Piglio Civitella Cru 2007, Casale Verde Luna
100% Cesanese di Affile. Grapes from a selected cru in Civitella. 35% of the juice aged in a mix of French barriques (new and 1 year old), the rest in old slavonian barrels. 14% alc/vol. This has a spicey nose and showing some oak. Also some ethereal notes. Powerful style in the mouth. But quite slick with sweetness from the oak. Medium acidity. Bitter notes on the finish. Tannic end. Fair quality. But I don’t think the oak does the wine any good. It is more noticeable on the nose than in the mouth.
Cesanese del Piglio AMOR 2007, Casale Verde Luna
100% Cesanese di Affile. Low yields. Aged in old slavonian casks. 14,5% alc/vol. Dark colour. Spicey, fruity nose. Hints of black crowberries, anise. Fullbodied Cesanese in the mouth. Lots of fruit. A bit sweetish and simple style. Medium acidity. Some tannins and bitterness in the back. Good wine, although rather simple in style.
Cesanese del Piglio Alagna 2009, Az.agr. Marcella Giuliani
100% Cesanese di Affile. 13,5% alc/vol. Aged in steel. Lots of dark fruits on the nose. Very fruity.But not very clear. Hints of rubber, spirits. Not nice. Juicy and fruity in the mouth. Kirsch-like, dark berries and rubber-notes. Flat taste. Medium acids. Light bitterness on the finish and little tannins. Not good.
Cesanese del Piglio Dives 2005, Az.agr. Marcella Giuliani
100% Cesanese di Affile. 13,5% alc/vol. 12 months in new French barriques. Black fruits on the nose. Oak pretty well-integrated. Round and juicy in the mouth. Very simple style. Slick and some sweetness from the oak. Medium acids. Light bitterness in the finish. Forgettable.
Cesanese del Piglio Hyperius 2008, Soc. Agricola Emme
13% alc/vol. 70% aged in tank, 30% in oak. Dark red colour. Dark berries with some earthy hints on the nose. Medium bodied, again quite juicy and good concentration. Simple, but finer style than the previous wines. Fine acidity here. Some bitterness on the finish. Decent quality.
Cesanese del Piglio superiore Vigneti Massimi Berlucci 2008, Soc. Agricola Emme
The above was what you found on the label. But the producer listed this wine as “Vigne Nuove”. 16,5% alc/vol. 12 months aging in oak. Dried and dark fruits on the nose. Kirsch. Ethereal notes. VA. Huge concentration in the mouth. This producer was not present, but this was quite amarone-like in style. Round and nice enough fruit. Some dried elements. Black crowberries. Some tobacco. Some spice. Low acids in the balance. Dry finish with the tannins showing. Some bitter elements. Good, if you like the style.
Cesanese del Piglio Colle Ticchio 2009, Corte dei Papi
100% Cesanese dei Affile. 13,5% alc/vol. Aged in steel. Unfiltered. Dark berries on the nose. Some anise, minerality. Some rubber. This seemed quite cool and nice on the nose. Clean and clear in the mouth. Easy-going and fruity. Fine acidity. Light tannins and bitterness on the finish. A fine lighter, unoaked and grape-typical Cesanese. Good.
Cesanese del Piglio San Magno 2008, Corte dei Papi
100% Cesanese dei Affile. 14% alc/vol. Aged in barriques, new and old. This shows on the nose. Wood, dark berries. Structured Cesanese in the mouth. Young and tight. The fruit shows the typical hints of black crowberries, also wood. Makes it simpler. This does not shows more. Medium acidity. Tannic end. Probably needs time. Or better, stick with the Colle Ticchio.
Cesanese del Piglio Castellano 2008, Cantina sociale Cesanese del Piglio
100% Cesanese di Affile. 13% Alc/vol. 35 years old vines. Hand-selected. Aged in steel. This has more red fruits on the nose. Some clayish notes. Minerality. Medium bodied in the mouth. Rather simple. But juicy and backed with a fine acidity. Medium tannins and a light and pleasant bitterness on the finish. A crowd-pleaser.
Cesanese del Piglio Superiore de Antiochia 2008, Cantina sociale Cesanese del Piglio
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14% Alc/Vol. Aged in steel and 12 months on old large barrels. Hand-selected grapes. Darker tones in the fruit. More ripeness here. More concentration, fruit and structure in the mouth. Black crowberries, anise. Fruity style. Not too deep, but a clear style. Fine acidity. Some bitterness on the finish. Tannic end. Typical, clear and fine for the price.
Cesanese del Piglio superiore Etichetta Oro 2008, Cantina sociale Cesanese del Piglio
100% Cesanese di Affile. 15% alc/vol. 40-60 years old vines. Hand-selected. Aged in old botte. Dark fruit on the nose. And Kirsch. Lots of spirit-notes. And VA. Powerful, concentrated, ripe, dried fruits. Yet shows typicity. Black crowberries. Medium to good acidity. Some more sweetness in the fruit. Bitterness on the finish and some tannins in the back. Quite big and not more exciting than the Antiochia. Good.
Cesanese del Piglio Trifora 2007, Terre del Cesanese
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14,5% alc/vol. Hand-selected. Aged in old barrels. Unfiltered. Seems cooler than expected. Dark fruits. Fine nose. Anise. Earth. Fullbodied in the mouth. Concentrated fruit. Also finer structure here. Even some minerality. Anise-notes. Better depth. Medium acidity. Dry finish with some bitterness. Tannic. Very good.
Cesanese del Piglio Colle Vignali 2006, Terre del Cesanese
100% Cesanese di Affile. 15% alc/vol. Hand-selected. Aged 24 months on 10 Hl bottle. Unfiltered. Dark colour. The nose is more volatile. Kirsch, dried fruit. In the mouth this is slicker, rounder with concentrated dried fruit. Lots of kirsch-aromas. Lower acidity. Tannic end with the typical bitterness. Fine enough, but the Trifora is better.
Olivella 2010, Casale della Ioria
Here is a strange bottle. This is made from 100% Olivella that is a indigenous grape in the area that has almost died out. Ioria decided to select what they had and make a varietal out of it. Hand-selected grapes. Tank-aged. 11,4% alc/vol. Violet colour. Dark, but transparent. Fruity nose towards boysenberries. Hints of flowers. Light, juicy and clean style in the mouth. Very fruity and simple style. Clear. Good acidity. Very little tannins. Nice flavours, but very uncomplicated. Fun to taste.
Cesanese del Piglio Campo Novo 2009, Casale della Ioria
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14,3% alc/vol. From vineyards of high altitude. Hand-selected. Aged in steel. What strikes me is that this is noticeable lighter in colour than what I have been served before. According to the owners this is due to the selected grapes they have in their vineyards that are different than from other producers. In the nose this has more complexity and more completeness than I have found before. The fruit goes towards cranberries and red berries. It shows mineral elements, tobacco and earth. In the mouth it is a medium bodied Cesanese del Piglio. Complex and pretty fruit. Clear style with fine depth. Cranberries, tobacco, anise. Minerality showing. Fine acidity. Some tannins in the back and the regular bitterness is in its place. Great Cesanese.
Cesanese del Piglio superiore 2008, Casale della Ioria
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14,5% alc/vol. From vineyards of high altitude. Hand-selected. Low yields. Aged 6 months in big botte. Colour equal to the above wine. This shows some darker notes on the nose. Also tobacco. In the mouth this is tighter and more structured. The fruit not as giving as the Campo Novo. Fine fruit. Cranberries, some black crowberries. Anise, tobacco. Needs time to open up more. Fine acidity. Tannic end with the bitterness there. Another great wine that will be even better with another year or two in the cellar.
Cesanese del Piglio 2008, Pileum
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14% alc/vol. Vines more than 50 years old. Aged in steel. Slightly deeper colour than the two from Ioria. Yet this also lighter than all others. Fruitier and clearer style on the nose. Dark crowberries, tobacco. Tight, very clear and fruity in the mouth. Good concentration. More juicey and straightforward. Lacking a little the depth of the Ioria. But great purity here. Fine structure. Medium tannins. Bitterness on the finish. Good wine.
Cesanese del Piglio Bolla Urbano 2007, Pileum
100% Cesanese di Affile. 14,5% alc/vol. Old vines. Aged in large botte. Colour equal to the above wine. The nose shows more perfume. Also cooler fruits. Cranberries, tobacco, floral elements. Again a very pure and precise wine in the mouth. Good concentration. Cooler fruit. Razor-sharp. But also this seems a bit simpler than Ioria. Fine acidity and tannic end. Quite dry finish. Another very good wine from Pileum. They lack the depth of Iorias wines, but seems so razor-sharp and precise in the fruit. Enjoy it for that.