2014 - Barolo Bricco Pernice, Elvio Cogno

The 2014 Barolo Bricco Pernice is vivid, precise and flat-out stunning. Like the best wines of the year, the Bricco Pernice is going to need a bit of time to be at its very best. I find the wine's inner perfume and sweetness to be utterly beguiling. At the same time, the Bricco Pernice remains taut, classically austere and in need of cellaring.

The 2014 Barolo Ravera Bricco Pernice is full and soft with great fruit density. This is a nicely balanced wine that shows more intensity than I might have expected from this cool vintage that generally produced thinner wines in comparison. There is sweet, supple spice on the close. This elegant Barolo would go nicely with a beef and pork shank cassoulet. The wine has the fiber to age beautifully, but it will also show nicely in the medium-term, for those looking for a more accessible Barolo.

Novello. Aged for 36 months in large oak cask, and that in a very light year like 2014! 100% Lampia clones and 50-year-old vines. This plot is a little warmer than their Ravera plot and soils here contain more marl than calcareous clay, and therefore stylistically speaking the wine reminds a little of Serralunga d’Alba. 5000 bottles produced. Lustrous mid ruby. Beautifully perfumed red fruit with quite a bit of concentration underneath. Savoury, minerally hints. Complex. Precision is key here. Cool red fruit on the palate with lots of powdery tannins and subtly balanced by fresh acidity that integrates on the finish. Something any Pinot lover would love to try. Elegant and with great focus and plenty of substance. (WS)