Elvio Cogno

Under the stewardship of Valter Fissore (Elvio’s son-in-law) this estate has become one of the most consistent star performers in all Barolo. The winery overlooks the cru of Ravera and from its glass-fronted tasting room one can appreciate the nuances of slope and soil type that Valter’s wines so faithfully express. The wines of Ravera were, historically, somewhat austere – not a bad thing for a Barolo.

But today, while they retain all the gravitas and age-ability one could want, we find Valter’s wines increasingly charming and expressive, a result of his judicious experiments with whole-bunch fermentation as well as countless other efforts to fine-tune operations in the vineyard and cuverie. The estate produces four spectacular Barolo, which are all available to taste today. Among a magnificent supporting cast of wines are the acclaimed Pre-Phyloxera Barbera and benchmark Nascetta, an indigenous white varietal with tremendous potential.