Cogno, beyond Barolo

During a visit to the Langhe, for the Nebbiolo Prima event, I made a stop at Cogno, an important winery even if it was ‘only’ founded in the 1990s. Elvio Cogno, who recently passed away, was one of the founders of the Langhe who made important contributions to Marcarini, an historic Barolo estate based in La Morra. Cogno was a driving force behind Marcarini’s expansion and was among the first to produce Barolo cru. He was also famous for his research into the best areas for the cultivation of Dolcetto, a grape he had a particular fondness for.

Running the technical side of his estate is Valter Fissore, Elvio’s son-in-law, who shared with him an excellent technical skill as well as a visceral passion for what he does and this is reflected in the wines. The estate is located in Novello, at the center of the town’s most important cru: Ravera. A plot in this vineyard produces Vigna Elena, the estate’s showcase wine which we have written about in the past. During my visit I was fascinated by wines described in this article and the ‘Nascetta Project’ centered on the indigenous white grape that was recently recognized and included in the Langhe Doc appellation, more specifically in the Nascetta (or Nas-cëtta) in the town of Novello. The estate has been moving the project forward with total dedication.

The winery is extremely modern with barrels of various sizes and origins while of particular interest are fermentation vats for the Nebbiolo used for their Barolo which have been modified for submerged cap operations, a fundamental estate’s practice.

Related Products