2004 Barolo Vigna Elena Riserva

Good deep red. Rather closed nose hints at red fruits, leather, game and smoky underbrush, plus a whiff of older wood; seems more than a year older than the 2005 Ravera. Then broad and sweet in the mouth but in need of a bit more verve and lift. Finishes with dusty tannins and a note of underbrush. It's hard to imagine this wine getting fresher with additional bottle aging.

The 2004 Barolo Vigna Elena is another fine, articulated wine that boasts layers of fruit. The wine keeps getting better and better in the glass, in a stunning display of plums, leather, minerals and French oak. Still tightly wound, this firm, classic Barolo should repay cellaring handsomely. This is a fantastic Barolo from Cogno. The Vigna Elena spent 36 months in 40 hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels.

The 2004 Barolo Vigna Elena is another fine, articulated wine that boasts layers of fruit. The wine keeps getting better and better in the glass, in a stunning display of plums, leather, minerals and French oak. Still tightly wound, this firm, classic Barolo should repay cellaring handsomely. This is a fantastic Barolo from Cogno. The Vigna Elena spent 36 months in 40 hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2025. This is an outstanding set of new releases from Cogno, one of Piedmont’s under the radar stars. Proprietors Walter Fissore and Nadia Cogno are doing great work at their small, family-run property. From top to bottom, all of these wines merit your attention. The Barolos in particular are special. Fermentation is done with the traditional submerged cap method and the wines stay in contact with the skins for an additional two weeks or so, taking the total time of fermentation/maceration to roughly 30 days, a bit longer than had been the case in the recent past. Like many estates in Piedmont, Cogno has increased the amount of large, neutral oak used for the Barolos and is relying less on small French oak barrels. Importer: Vias Imports, New York, NY; tel. (212) 629-0200