2019 Cogno, Elvio - Barolo Ravera (750ml)
Elvio Cogno founded his eponymous winery in 1990 after purchasing an eighteenth-century farmhouse atop Bricco Ravera, a hill near Novello in the Langhe. Today his daughter Nadia and her husband Valter Fissore carry on the estate's tradition, and Cogno has become the leading producer within the Ravera cru, holding more than eleven hectares of vineyard there. Ravera is prized for producing Barolo that ages gracefully while holding onto its aromatic freshness, a quality this bottling shows in abundance.
Sourced from Nebbiolo vines up to eighty years old on calcareous soils, the 2019 vintage was made partly with whole cluster fermentation, a technique that lends extra perfume and lift. In the glass, the wine opens with woodland berry, blue flower, forest floor, and camphor, joined by notes of blackcurrant, wild raspberry, and dried herbs. The palate is structured yet refined, layered with licorice, menthol, and baking spice, all framed by firm, well-integrated tannins and the vertical, mineral energy typical of Ravera's limestone soils. The finish carries impressive length, closing with a touch of citrus peel.
Still youthful on release, this Barolo has real capacity to age and will continue developing complexity for decades in the cellar. It calls for braised meats, wild game, or aged Piedmontese cheeses.