Elvio Cogno Bricco Pernice Barolo 2013

Professional Ratings

• 97 Wine Enthusiast
  Forest floor, dried rose petal, new leather, star anise and menthol aromas align with a potpourri of dark cooking spice. The full-bodied yet linear palate delivers juicy Marasca cherry, crushed strawberry, licorice and aromatic herb set against taut, elegant tannins. Vibrant acidity lends balance, tension and an ageworthy structure.
  Cellar Selection
• 97 Wine & Spirits
  The 2013 growing season in Novello was one of the longest on record, starting out with a chilly spring followed by a mostly dry and sunny summer and then cool nights during harvest. The conditions were nearly ideal for the long, slow ripening of the nebbiolo in Bricco Pernice, a five-acre plot on a limestone-rich hilltop in the Ravera cru. Three-quarters of the vines are 50 years old, and after a green harvest during which vintner Valter Fissore drops as much as half the clusters, each vine produces just over two pounds of fruit. The result is a wine that’s concentrated yet balanced and elegant: The red cherry flavors are fresh and vibrant, coiled around dense, taut tannins and laced with notes of white pepper and cool mineral tones. This is an exciting wine to try now for its sheer power and energy, and one to revisit over the next two decades as it continues to evolve.
• 96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
  The 2013 Barolo Ravera Bricco Pernice is a true protagonist of this gorgeous vineyard site. A bright green canopy extends right up to the Elvio Cogno farmhouse on a gentle slope that rises upward all the way to the Novello ridge. Ravera sits in a beautiful amphitheater of vines. From a classic vintage, this wine is solid and firm in texture. The bouquet is already expressive, immediate and direct. It is bursting with dark fruit, smoke, spice and licorice. This Barolo shows all the qualities that will guarantee a long and successful cellar evolution. Only 4,000 bottles were made. The wine sees a 40-day fermentation and maceration time with submerged caps. It is aged in large Slavonian oak casks for 30 months.
  Rating: 96+
• 94 Wine Spectator
  Grounded by a beam of pure cherry, this red is wrapped in an embrace of dense, finely wrought tannins. Shows a licorice chewiness, along with sage and sandalwood notes that linger on the fresh aftertaste.