This is definitely a wine that needs some rebranding. ‘Piodilei’ literally translates to ‘Pio for the ladies.’ It is so named because the family’s women found this wine particularly appealing–though there’s nothing here that will keep the men from falling in love with it, too. Because it is, in fact, a supremely–and perhaps dangerously–drinkable wine.
The oak here is used more as a seasoning than as a focal point, which should be a relief for everyone who’s burned out on overblown California-style chardonnays (though even those are getting more elegant these days). As a result, there is a superb balance between the wine’s tropical fruit character and its richer, more robust notes of vanilla and cream.
The finish is long and elegant with a lovely hint of butter–more Burgundian than you’d perhaps expect from Piemonte. But there is An Italian white–and a chardonnay to boot!–worth buying in bulk.