Pio Cesare has been making wine in Alba since 1881, and the Oltre is its departure from the pure Nebbiolo playbook: a Langhe blend that folds Cabernet and Merlot in with the Nebbiolo, from the hills around Alba where all three grow.
- Nebbiolo, Cabernet, Merlot in the blend.
- Langhe DOC, Piedmont, northern Italy.
- 2014, a cool, late-ripening vintage in Piedmont.
- Full body, high tannin, high acidity, dry.
- 14% alcohol, 750ml.
How it is made
Langhe DOC is the wide appellation around Alba, and it is a permissive one. Unlike Barolo, which must be 100% Nebbiolo, Langhe allows the producer to blend, so Nebbiolo can be joined by the Bordeaux varieties that have grown in these hills since the nineteenth century. The Nebbiolo gives the frame and the perfume; Cabernet and Merlot fill it out.
How it tastes
Red cherry and tar come first, the signature of Nebbiolo, then dried herbs and cedar from the Cabernet side. Firm, grippy tannins and a high line of acidity keep it taut rather than soft, with dark fruit sitting underneath. Dry, full-bodied, and built to hold.
Good to know
2014 in Piedmont was a cool, wet, late season, and the wines that came through it tend to be fresher and more savoury than in hot years. Langhe is also the appellation that gave growers room to experiment while Barolo and Barbaresco stayed bound by their own rules.
Contains alcohol.
