2008 Barolo Bricco Pernice

Novello. Mid ruby. Exciting, tense, rather 'mineral' nose but with real depth and autumnal leafy richness on the palate. Great nerve and concentration here. Attractive lift on the finish. Skittish rather than heavy. (JR)

(from the best part of Ravera): Good deep red. Decadent aromas of strawberry, musky leather, chocolate and earth; less fruity than the 2009 Ravera. Sweet and serious in the mouth, with a silky quality to its candied red fruit and leather flavors, but quite not the same impression of lift or energy as the 2009 Ravera. Finishes with slightly dry, building tannins.

The 2008 Barolo Bricco Pernice brings us back to a cooler vintage and a more humid growing season. Tertiary aromas of cured meat, dried tobacco and button mushroom are beginning to show, and they add a lovely edge to this fabulous wine. At the back are brightly polished tones of cassis and dried fruit that give the wine the softness and the plushness it needs. The wine paints a pretty portrait of the harvest. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2025. A visit to the cellars of Elvio Cogno is always a fascinating learning experience. I had my first taste of a beautifully fresh and fragrant white wine made with the Nascetta grape here a few years ago. The variety was new to many of us then, but thanks to vintner Valter Fissore and his wife Nadia Cogno it is strongly identified with the territory today. More recently, the couple started to produce limited cases of Barbera d’Alba made from pre-phylloxera vines (most more than a century old). That they were able to tap into that ancient genetic patrimony in this well-trodden part of Italy is something of a small miracle. They are also credited with putting the little-known Novello township on the Barolo map. Importer: Imported by Elvio Cogno, Suasalito, CA; tel. (917) 699-2647