Elvio Cogno Vigna Elena Barolo Riserva DOCG — 2014 – Wine & Spirits – 95 Points
95 points
Vigna Elena is a single, sandy plot in the Ravera cru that is planted exclusively to nebbiolo rosé, a late-ripening variety once thought to be a clone of nebbiolo but now considered distinct yet closely related. In a growing season like 2014, with a cool and rainy summer followed by a spectacular September, its late ripening worked to the wine’s advantage, giving the fruit an extra two weeks to soak up the autumn sunshine. The wine smells of roses = petals, leaves and stems – and tastes of tart cherry and pomegranate with undercurrents of fresh tobacco. Lithe and lively with supple tannins and brisk acidity, it may not be one of Valter Fissore’s longest-lived wines, yet it offers a fascinating and appealing interpretation of this challenging vintage.
