Elvio Cogno

The vines for this Dolcetto grow on the Ravera hillside in Novello, on soils rich in limestone, sand and clay with a gentle south-eastern exposure, around 380 metres above sea level. This parcel is located in Elvio Cogno's traditional cultivation centre and is all about local provenance and authenticity. The ageing – around eight months in steel barrels, without wood – emphasises the varietal typicity and freshness.

The Barbera vines for this wine are rooted in plots around Novello, partly in the renowned Ravera zone, on calcareous and clayey marl soils with good water retention. Deep ruby red in colour with a violet rim. The bouquet opens with ripe cherry, plum and blackcurrant, underpinned by violets, delicate herbal spice and a hint of liquorice. Full-bodied and harmonious on the palate, carried by juicy fruit and lively acidity that counteracts the warmth of the vintage with freshness. The tannins are soft but present and give the wine contour. Ageing for 12 months in large, used wooden barrels and a short period of maturation in the bottle round off the profile: a beautiful Barbera with a balance between fruitiness and elegance that is a true reflection of its origins. Outstanding value. SUPERIORE.DE

Montegrilli is a declaration of love to the Langhe terroir and a deliberately chosen distance from the house's Barolo style: no woody notes, instead the focus is on pure Nebbiolo purity. The grapes come from a vineyard of just 1.4 hectares in the Ravera zone near Novello. They ripen on sandy, calcareous soil under the sun of the southern slopes, in a microcosm that ensures immediate, elegant freshness. After manual harvesting, fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, followed by eight months of ageing in steel.

Light, bright straw yellow with a subtle greenish shimmer – is how this exceptional white wine appears in the glass. The grapes come 100% from Nascetta, probably the only autochthonous white wine variety in the Langhe, which has been revitalised in Novello far beyond eye level – as a true expression of the diversity of regional grape varieties. The wine is matured in equal parts in stainless steel tanks and Slavonian 15-litre oak barrels – precisely balanced to combine freshness with an enveloping structure.

The vines of this single-vineyard Barbera are rooted at the highest point of the hill in the renowned Ravera and Pasinotti vineyards near Novello. Grown on soils rich in limestone and clay with a south-south-easterly exposure at an altitude of 300-400 metres, the wine reflects both elegance and a clear origin. The wine matures for around 12 months in large Slavonian wooden barrels, which give it depth without masking the freshness of the fruit.

The Bordini parcel lies between gentle hills in the municipality of Neive, with a southern exposure and calcareous soil – one of the structure-forming Barbaresco vineyards that has always been famous for its power, elegance and depth. The 2021 vintage is considered particularly refined: A long, balanced growing season nourished the grapes with balanced ripeness, while cooler nights preserved the fine acidity. The manual harvest in mid-October was perfectly timed and ensured the high quality of the harvest. Ageing in large oak barrels for 12-14 months brought complementary depth without masking the clear fruit expression.

The Bordini vineyard in Neive, sun-kissed and situated on calcareous, slightly sandy soils, has been known for generations for Nebbiolo with natural vigour and fine contours. The 2022 vintage brought a warm, dry growing climate, which, thanks to cool nights and precise harvest, produced grapes with intense aromas and optimal phenolic ripeness. The colour in the glass is a rich ruby with a slight garnet hue. The nose is inviting and multi-layered: juicy plum, ripe strawberry and the warm aroma of crushed nutmeg interweave with rose petals, orange peel, a hint of dried herbs and fine spice. On the palate, the wine reveals its dual nature – generous red-fleshed fruit paired with the classic Nebbiolo structure that characterises Bordini. Velvety but noticeable tannins provide backbone, while the lively acidity keeps the rich fruit in balance and lends freshness and energy to the powerful body. The finish is long, savoury and infused with a fine mineral vein – a Barbaresco full of expressiveness that harmoniously combines the essence of the vineyard and vintage. SUPERIORE.DE

Elvio Cogno's Barolo Cascina Nuova is the most accessible of the many excellent Barolos produced by this leading winery in the municipality of Novello. The fundamental value this wine offers is even more irresistible in a perfect and classic vintage like 2021. Opens beautifully in the glass and unfolds its aromas of redcurrants and wild berries. This is accompanied by typical varietal notes of liquorice, cola and camphor ash in a firm, medium-weight texture. A wine that you simply have to love. SUPERIORE.DE

A rare and very limited wine that is more than just a Barbera: it is a living monument. The vines come from a tiny plot in the hamlet of Berri near La Morra, which was planted before the phylloxera catastrophe (prefilossera) and survived it – the vines are ungrafted, without rootstocks, a rare treasure that is almost unique in Italy today. The sandy, chalky soils and southern exposure give these grapes an intensity and clarity that is incomparable to any younger vineyard. The 2022 vintage brought sunny, warm days in which the old vines used their deep roots to tap into water reserves. harvest was strictly selective and in small crates to preserve the delicate structure of the berries.

Barolo Ravera comes from a single vineyard with vines that are almost 50 years old. In the glass, it impresses with a strong, aromatic opening flavour. Bright, precise and finely chiselled, the Ravera captures everything good that the vintage has to offer. Cherry, sweet mint, candy and expressive floral notes are given an extra kick of inner sweetness by Ravera's natural energy. There is so much to look forward to as the wine develops over the next few years! SUPERIORE.DE

The Ravera vineyard on the Novello side, where steep hills descend from a castle perched on a beautiful panorama, is one of the best cru sites in the Barolo DOCG. From this vantage point, you can see Novello and the Elvio Cogno winery, which is located halfway up the slope. Valter Fissore's Ravera from the great 2021 vintage benefits from this special location and shows terrific versatility and depth every year.

2019 is considered one of the vintage highlights of the last decade in Barolo: cool nights, sunny days and a long vegetation period led to perfectly balanced ripeness. In Bricco Pernice, this meant maximum aromatic clarity and structural depth. The high, south-westerly exposure in the Ravera cru site ensures an interplay of warmth and freshness, while the calcareous marl soils promote a taut, vertical style.

Bricco Pernice, usually harvested a little earlier, is a warm, south-facing plot in the top Ravera vineyard at an altitude of 320 metres. Cognos Barolo offers the depth, richness and concentration that characterise this site and vintage. Blood orange, mint, sweet red cherry, star anise and a range of spicy notes give it an impressive aromatic and flavour complexity. Medium-bodied, refined and expressive on the palate, it has a lot to offer. The best thing is that, despite its potential, it is easy to drink after just a few years in the bottle. It is a graceful wine: polished, nuanced, elegant and impeccably balanced. SUPERIORE.DE

Elvio Cogno's Barolo Cascina Nuova is the most accessible of the many excellent Barolos produced by this leading winery in the municipality of Novello. The fundamental value this wine offers is even more irresistible in a perfect and classic vintage like 2021. Opens beautifully in the glass and unfolds its aromas of redcurrants and wild berries. This is accompanied by typical varietal notes of liquorice, cola and camphor ash in a firm, medium-weight texture. A wine that you simply have to love. SUPERIORE.DE

Vigna Elena is a Ravera parcel of 1 hectare in size. Just 5,000 bottles of Cogno's famous Riserva come from here every year. The Vigna Elena 2019 has just the right balance between fruit and wood, which is often a real challenge in this category. The rather bright bouquet has red fruits and nuances of truffle, ash, dried citrus peel and pressed flowers. Elegant, brooding and powerful, as only a great Barolo can be, Vigna Elena possesses a wealth of nuances and dimensions from the very first sip. Exotic spice and orange peel notes, followed later by ripe raspberries, mocha and autumn leaves. The Vigna Elena 2019 is an absolute delight. SUPERIORE.DE

Barolo Ravera Vigna Elena Riserva DOCG 2018 is a monument to precision craftsmanship and at the same time a rare one-off: it comes from a pure planting of the historic Nebbiolo variety Nebbiolo Rosé – an independent, genetically distinct variety that almost disappeared from the Barolo vineyards over the course of the 20th century. Elvio Cogno and his family have consciously preserved this rare grape variety in the Vigna Elena monopoly position. The parcel is located in the upper Ravera zone near Novello, on poor, calcareous and clayey soils with optimal south-west exposure. The result is low yields, late-ripening grapes and a distinctive style: lighter colour, beguiling floral depth, fine, almost silky tannins and enormous aromatic precision.

Barolo Ravera comes from a single vineyard with almost 50-year-old vines. In the glass, it impresses with a strong, aromatic opening aroma. Bright, precise and finely chiselled, the Ravera captures all the goodness the vintage has to offer. Cherry, sweet mint, candy and expressive floral notes get an extra kick of inner sweetness from the Ravera's natural energy. There is so much to look forward to as the wine develops over the next few years! SUPERIORE.DE