Delicious dolcetto here with crushed black fruit and hints of vanilla. Medium body. Creamy and delicious. Drink now.

Another very successful barbera with subtle citrus character, dried violets and lavender. Medium-bodied yet quite spicy, this paints bright, dark fruit in watercolors. Drink now.

Aromas of camphor and sweet pipe tobacco give way to cherry, tar and wild scrub flavors in this densely structured red, which is elegant and sinewy, with a lingering, chewy finish. Best from 2023 through 2045

This is elegant and supple, featuring cherry, strawberry, eucalyptus and iron flavors fused to a firm backbone of acidity and tannins. Fresh and racy, this glides to a long finish. Give this another year or two. Best from 2022 through 2040.

A compact, dense red, both in terms of fruit and tannins. Cherry, strawberry, iron, tobacco and tar flavors hold court while the vivid acidity and beefy tannins lend structure. Terrific length. Everything is in the right place; this just needs time to harmonize. Best from 2023 through 2045. From Italy.

The Elvio Cogno 2019 Dolcetto d'Alba Mandorlo is a beautifully fragrant expression of the grape, with impressive purity and focus. Dark cherry and fresh blueberry are followed by crushed limestone or white stone. The wine is only aged in stainless steel, and the vineyards see calcareous-rich soils. The wine is lean, almost mid-weight in terms of density, but it shows the simple balance and harmony to pair with Ascoli olives, or olive ascolana, that are fried and stuffed with minced pork and bread crumbs. Some 10,000 bottles were released.

A wine that always turns heads, the Elvio Cogno 2019 Langhe Nascetta del Comune di Novello Anas-Cëtta is a mid-weight, glycerin-rich white made from an indigenous grape that is rare and dear to the region of Langa. There are aspects of this wine that remind me of the Arneis grape (another local favorite). The wine's smooth and creamy mouthfeel is one element shared between the two. So are those aromas of honey, white peach, pear and acacia flower. Aged in both stainless steel and botte grande, this wine has the textural richness to pair with white meat and even a few red meat dishes. An ample

Of the four Elvio Cogno Baroli out on the market now, this wine is the most immediate and accessible of the bunch. Production is an ample 20,000 bottles. The 2016 Barolo Cascina Nuova is a terrific wine with impeccable balance. The bouquet offers dark fruit aromas, licorice, smoke, tar and spice. These aromatic pieces slide together with precision to create an intriguing and multifaceted puzzle. It shows good fruit weight and concentration, reinforced by firm tannins, freshness and a silky mouthfeel. This is a terrific go-to Barolo from a classic vintage. The wine is fermented in stainless ste

Of the many great contributions made by the winemaking team at Elvio Cogno, perhaps the greatest is the importance they brought to the Ravera cru of Novello. Little-known before their efforts, this vineyard has risen in high regard in recent years and continues to show impressive potential. The 2016 Barolo Ravera offers an important education in why this site deserves the spotlight. The wine shows terrific balance and depth, with rich fruit aromas framed by smoke, tar, ferrous earth and tangy licorice. The tannins are softly contoured, and the wine moves over the palate with profound length...

The Elvio Cogno 2015 Barolo Ravera Bricco Pernice delivers the depth, richness and concentration that are a hallmark of this pretty vintage. This wine is a pure expression of the productive Lampia clone of Nebbiolo. Generous layers of blackberry, wild cherry, rose hip, ferrous earth and campfire ash are neatly folded together to build the wine's intensity. Like the other wines from this estate, the tannic management is spot-on. You are aware of the wine's youthful structure, but it is delivered without hard edges or sharp points. A mere 4,000 bottles were produced.

The Elvio Cogno portfolio concludes with the special 2014 Barolo Riserva Ravera Vigna Elena. This wine from the cooler 2014 vintage stands far apart from the other new releases from the 2015 and 2016 vintages also hitting the market at this time. Ephemeral, fragile and delicate, the wine shows a softer caliber of fruit, with wild berry, cassis, smoke, tar and powdered licorice. There are earthy notes at the back with truffle essence and forest floor. This vintage offers a heightened level of complexity and nuance. This wine is a pure expression of the Rosé clone of Nebbiolo that is known for i

Aromas of white peaches, dried flowers and hot stones follow through to a medium body, creamy texture and a fruity finish. Dry at the end. Fun for this grape type. Nicely done. Drink now.

Blueberry and dried-lemon aromas and flavors with medium body, bright acidity and a clean, fresh finish. Real dolcetto. Drink now.

Vivid, bright fruit with strawberries, flowers and orange peel on the nose. Full-bodied, round and tannic, yet there’s lots of fresh, ripe fruit with some citrus undertones. Needs two or three years to soften. Better after 2023.

Enticing scents of rose, iris, perfumed berry and an earthy whiff of truffle shape the fragrant nose on this dazzling wine. The delicious, full-bodied palate boasts structure and a weightless elegance, delivering juicy Marasca cherry, cherry compote, cinnamon and star anise. Taut polished tannins and fresh acidity provide balance and an elegant structure. It's already irresistible but will also age well for years. Drink 2022–2035.

Rose, woodland berry and baking spice shape the nose along with crushed mint notes on this fragrant red. The savory, polished palate boasts succulent raspberry, ripe strawberry and white pepper before taut tannins and bright acidity reveal a firm, elegant structure. Star anise lingers on the finish. Drink 2023–2036.

From the estate that proved the extraordinary quality of the Ravera subzone, this compelling wine opens with heady scents of rose, iris, perfumed berry, new leather and camphor. Focused and full bodied, the precise palate is delicious and firmly structured, featuring ripe red cherry, crushed raspberry, licorice and tobacco framed in tightly knit fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity keeps it beautifully balanced and lends youthful tension. Drink 2024–2056.

Perfumed and structured, this wine opens with alluring scents of rose, tobacco, mint, underbrush and woodland berry. The vibrant, focused palate offers intriguing tension and intensity while at the same time showing finesse, delivering red cherry, raspberry, licorice and baking spice tones framed by firm tannins. Drink 2023–2043.

This is a very interesting wine. On first nose, the 2018 Langhe Nascetta del Comune di Novello Anas-Cëtta offers a touch of smoke and bacon fat that comes as a bit of a surprise. You might expect a lean and inconsequential white, but this expression of the delicate and somewhat uncommon Nascetta grape (that this estate has championed over the years) delivers much more intensity and momentum than you might initially expect. That bacon fat is followed by campfire ash and ripe fruit. This is a great one for connoisseurs of lesser-known Italian varieties.

Plump, ripe fruit and cherry-covered chocolate overflow from this generous 2017 Barbera d'Alba Bricco dei Merli. This is a beautiful and fruit-forward expression with delicious fruit intensity and lots of succulent ripeness. Enjoy it with a decadently cheesy penne alla Norma.”