The name of this estate is derived from the name of its founder, Cesare Pio, who set up this now long established family business in 1881. It remains in the family, with Pio Boffa, the great grandson of the founder, at the helm. Pio Cesare has worked with local growers for generations, but in more recent years they have also purchased some vineyards of their own for the production of Barolo and Barbaresco crus.
Pio Boffa has also been responsible for some modernisations in the cantine. The overall ethos is one of minimal intervention, with maceration, oak contact and other variables carefully tailored to the individual wine. Today Pio Boffa owns almost 45 ha of vineyards, a large holding for the region which is dominated by small family firms owning small plots of land. The two Pio Cesare Barolo cuvées are the most significant; a single vineyard wine, Barolo Ornato, from a family-owned site near Serralunga d'Alba. First produced in 1985, this cuvée is only released when the quality of the harvest is high. This site is also a source of fruit for the straight Barolo cuvée, together with Castigion Falletto and Monforte.
Fermentation is at 25-26ºC, with maceration up to 26 days, and ageing in Slovenian oak. Equally there are two Barbaresco cuvées; a single vineyard wine Il Bricco, from a site near Treiso. Like the Barolo Ornato this wine is released only in the better vintages, with the first release being 1990. Fruit not used for Il Bricco is blended in the straight Barbaresco, together with that from near Barbaresco itself and San Rocco Sen d'Elvio.
There are two cuvées of Barbera along a similar lines; Barbera Fides, from a site near the Ornato vineyard, was created in the early 1990s. This sees some time in French oak, whereas the basic Barbera d'Alba, a blend of fruit from a variety of local vineyards, ages in Yugoslavian oak as well. The range is completed by a Dolcetto, l'Altro Chardonnay and Gavi.
