Barolo Riserva Vigna Elena, Elvio Cogno 2015

Dried strawberry with tar and asphalt undertones, as well as dried flowers. Full-bodied, yet tight and refined, this builds on the finish to a terrific ending. Lots of dried mushroom to the fruit. Structured. Try after 2024.

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Ravera Vigna Elena (with 4,000 bottles made) is coming along beautifully with lots of dark fruit packed tight within and a well-developed savory side, with leather, tar and cured tobacco. Now, with the benefit of distance, we can see that the 2015 vintage has not aged evenly across the board, as some samples already show faded fruit. To be clear, that is absolutely not the case here. In fact, this Riserva sets the bar very high, thanks to its structure and length. Perhaps what it lacks is the extra acidity to push it along even further into the future. 2023 - 2040

The 2015 Barolo Riserva Vigna Elena displays the ripeness and concentration of the vintage, with cassis, cinnamon, leather, and balsamic. The palate has notes of cherry pit, black tea, and tar. Rich and powerfully structured, the Riserva warrants another year or so in cellar and will be prime for enjoyment 2022-2040.