Even at a relatively spritely age, the 2016 Barbaresco Bordini is showing some carefully evolved notes and a subdued style. The wine feels well contoured and shaped with softened layers of bramble and wild berry. There is bright elegance and grace here. Pair it with some mild goat or sheep milk cheeses, such as robiola.

Lots of impressive red, blue and darker fruit for a nebbiolo; this is brimming with boysenberries, blueberries, violets and lavender. Medium-bodied and quite chewy for this category with pretty structure and drive. Drink now.

Novello. Lustrous mid ruby. Lots of depth and richness, yet at the same time sleek. Sweet, crushed red fruit run through by a spicy vein. Gorgeous succulent fruit, great focus and length and full spread on the finish with bags of ripe, grainy tannins. Endlessly long and succulent.

Novello. Beautifully lifted, perfumed and concentrated. Almost an explosion of fresh, crushed, sweet, red fruit. Great purity of fruit with firm tannins that never dominate. Vibrant acidity and succulence on a full, tannic, yet endlessly fine palate.

Novello. Lustrous mid ruby. Signature depth of fruit combined with finesse. Spice and minerals, cherry and raspberry with a suggestion of liquorice. There is a certain leggerezza but at the same time profound and deep but without being heavy. Fine, firm long grainy tannins clinging to the fruit. Composed energy. Easily one of the best-buy wines of the vintage – should be GV.

Lustrous mid ruby. Deep perfumed nose with a hint of pet shop. Alluring and complex with savoury hints intermingled. Minerally and balsamic notes. Impressive freshness and lightness of touch, yet long and with fine, powdery tannins. Iron and orange and sour cherry on the finish. The accent lies firmly on finesse and elegance.

The 2015 Barolo Bricco Pernice is an exotic, beguiling wine. Blood orange, mint, sweet red cherry, star anise and a range of spice notes give the Bricco Pernice striking aromatic and flavor complexity. Medium in body, refined and super-expressive, the 2015 has so much to offer. Best of all, it will drink well with just a few years in bottle. It is such an effortless, gracious wine. Very polished, nuanced and elegant, this silky Barolo has a ton of structure but is also impeccable in its balance.

Cogno's 2016 Barolo Cascina Nuova is absolutely gorgeous. Pliant and expressive on the palate, the 2016 has a touch more mid-palate sweetness and texture than in the past, when the wine has been more nervous in feel. Sweet red cherry, blood orange, mint, wild flowers, cedar, sweet tobacco and anise all open up effortlessly. Silky tannins add to its considerable immediacy and appeal. This is such a pretty wine in its peer group and also a terrific example of how attractive more modestly priced Barolos are in 2016.

Valter Fissore ages this wine in stainless-steel tanks for just six months to create a raspy, racy nebbiolo with fresh flavors of cherry and strawberry brightened by a spray of orange peel. Chill it lightly and pour with roast chicken.

This is impressively cool for a wine from the warm 2017 vintage. It opens with flavors of red cherry and plum that reveal, with exposure to air, deeper layers of dried apricot and currant. The ripe, chewy tannins hold it all in balance.

The 2016 Barolo Ravera shows all of the energy and tension this site is so well-known for. Penetrating acids and veins of tannin give the Ravera its drive and overall feel. Naturally, the 2016 is going to need at least a few years to be at its best, but it has tremendous breeding and character to burn. White pepper, mint, sweet red cherry and citrus add to the wine's high-toned profile. This is another stellar wine from Cogno.”

The 2014 Barolo Riserva Ravera Vigna Elena is seamless in the glass, with stunning balance and all of the pedigree of this year. Medium in body and gracious, it shows elegant notes of rose petal, mint, white pepper, sweet tobacco and dried flowers. Sweet red stone fruit marry with a classic sense of austerity. All of the elements here come together in this stunning, gloriously beautiful Barolo from Cogno. Deeply expressive and intense, the 2014 Vigna Elena is not an obvious wine, but instead it is ethereal, lifted and with pure class.

This red is juicy, offering cherry, raspberry, earth, tobacco and tar flavors. Dense tannins lend support as this stretches out nicely on the finish. Sleek and almost racy in style, with tobacco and mineral elements lingering. Best from 2023 through 2040.

The 2018 Anas-Cëtta is very fresh, gracious and light on its feet, with striking aromatic presence. Dried pear, dried flowers, mint and chamomile all grace this racy, very pretty wine.

Cogno's 2017 Barbera d'Alba Bricco dei Merli is dark, sumptuous and wonderfully inviting. Black cherry, mocha, licorice, spice and sweet pipe tobacco add shades of nuance to a Barbera that captures the richness of the year while also retaining a mid-weight sense of structure. Impeccable in its balance, the 2017 has so much to offer.

Rose, cherry and licorice aromas and flavors are accented by leather, tobacco and spice in this focused and complex red. Balanced, but the dusty tannins will need a year or two to integrate. Best from 2022 through 2043.

The 2014 growing season was cool and wet, but Walter Fissore is a master of managing his vines, having worked the Ravera cru for more than a quarter-century. This feels fully ripe, fresh and high-toned, with snappy red-fruit flavors girded by powerful, ferrous tannins. Mouthwatering acidity amplifies the berry flavors as notes of dried herbs and pressed florals emerge.

The 2017 Langhe Nebbiolo Montegrilli is a very pretty wine. The warm, dry vintage has give Cogno's Nebbiolo an extra kick of richness, but without robbing the wine of its personality. Sweet dried cherry, mint, tobacco, crushed flowers and anise all flesh out in an expansive, inviting Nebbiolo that will drink nicely for at least a number of years.

The 2016 Barbera d'Alba Bricco dei Merli is one of the highlights in Elvio Cogno's range of entry-level offerings. Pilant, deep and seductive, with tremendous overall depth, the 2016 is all class. Bright red cherry, plum, rose petal mint and licorice build into the creamy, voluptuous finish. What a gorgeous wine this is. 

The 2016 Barbaresco Bordini is a classy, polished wine. This is an especially gracious wine from Bordini, where the Barbarescos are often bigger. Sweet spice, tobacco, menthol, licorice and cloves add lovely shades of nuance. Dark in its expression and also tightly wound, the 2016 is very nicely done. I confess, though, I would like to see a little more excitement here.