Elvio Cogno Barbera Pre-Phylloxera 2022
The Elvio Cogno Barbera d’Alba Pre-Phylloxera 2022 is one of the most soul-stirring bottles in Piedmont. While most of Europe’s vineyards were wiped out by the phylloxera pest in the late 19th century and had to be replanted on American rootstocks, this tiny plot in Berri (near La Morra) survived.
Here is why you want this in your cellar:
An "Archaic" Vineyard
These vines are over 120 years old and grow on their own original Vitis vinifera roots. Because they aren't grafted, you are tasting the "pure" DNA of Barbera as it existed in the 1800s. The sandy-calcareous soil at 520 meters altitude acted as a natural shield, preserving this "open-air museum."
2022 Profile: Power Meets Weightlessness
The 2022 vintage was warm and radiant, but these ancient vines used their massive, century-old root systems to find water deep underground, maintaining a startling freshness.
What to Expect:
The Nose: It’s stratified and deep, think ripe black cherry and wild strawberry, but layered with sophisticated notes of lavender, black pepper, and medicinal herbs. The Palate: Critics describe it as "full-bodied but weightless." You get that classic Barbera "crunch" and acidity, but it’s wrapped in a velvety, silken texture that only old vines can produce. The Finish: Long, savory, and slightly salty.
Critical Acclaim: 97 Points (Kerin O’Keefe, Former Italian Wine Editor for Wine Enthusiast): Calls it "utterly delicious" and "smooth and enveloping," suggesting a drinking window through 2037.
"Made with ungrafted 120-130 old vines that didn’t succumb phylloxera, the rare 2022 Barbera d’Alba Pre-Phylloxera is utterly delicious. Smooth and enveloping, full-bodied but weightless, it delivers succulent raspberry, ripe cherry, licorice, orange drop, black pepper and a dollop of vanilla before a lingering, salty finish. Thanks to the high vineyard altitude, it also has vibrancy thanks to its great acidity. Drink through 2037."
The Elvio Cogno Barbera d’Alba Pre-Phylloxera 2022 is one of the most soul-stirring bottles in Piedmont. While most of Europe’s vineyards were wiped out by the phylloxera pest in the late 19th century and had to be replanted on American rootstocks, this tiny plot in Berri (near La Morra) survived.
Here is why you want this in your cellar:
An "Archaic" Vineyard
These vines are over 120 years old and grow on their own original Vitis vinifera roots. Because they aren't grafted, you are tasting the "pure" DNA of Barbera as it existed in the 1800s. The sandy-calcareous soil at 520 meters altitude acted as a natural shield, preserving this "open-air museum."
2022 Profile: Power Meets Weightlessness
The 2022 vintage was warm and radiant, but these ancient vines used their massive, century-old root systems to find water deep underground, maintaining a startling freshness.
What to Expect:
The Nose: It’s stratified and deep, think ripe black cherry and wild strawberry, but layered with sophisticated notes of lavender, black pepper, and medicinal herbs. The Palate: Critics describe it as "full-bodied but weightless." You get that classic Barbera "crunch" and acidity, but it’s wrapped in a velvety, silken texture that only old vines can produce. The Finish: Long, savory, and slightly salty.
Critical Acclaim: 97 Points (Kerin O’Keefe, Former Italian Wine Editor for Wine Enthusiast): Calls it "utterly delicious" and "smooth and enveloping," suggesting a drinking window through 2037.
"Made with ungrafted 120-130 old vines that didn’t succumb phylloxera, the rare 2022 Barbera d’Alba Pre-Phylloxera is utterly delicious. Smooth and enveloping, full-bodied but weightless, it delivers succulent raspberry, ripe cherry, licorice, orange drop, black pepper and a dollop of vanilla before a lingering, salty finish. Thanks to the high vineyard altitude, it also has vibrancy thanks to its great acidity. Drink through 2037."
Original: $64.61
-65%$64.61
$22.61Description
The Elvio Cogno Barbera d’Alba Pre-Phylloxera 2022 is one of the most soul-stirring bottles in Piedmont. While most of Europe’s vineyards were wiped out by the phylloxera pest in the late 19th century and had to be replanted on American rootstocks, this tiny plot in Berri (near La Morra) survived.
Here is why you want this in your cellar:
An "Archaic" Vineyard
These vines are over 120 years old and grow on their own original Vitis vinifera roots. Because they aren't grafted, you are tasting the "pure" DNA of Barbera as it existed in the 1800s. The sandy-calcareous soil at 520 meters altitude acted as a natural shield, preserving this "open-air museum."
2022 Profile: Power Meets Weightlessness
The 2022 vintage was warm and radiant, but these ancient vines used their massive, century-old root systems to find water deep underground, maintaining a startling freshness.
What to Expect:
The Nose: It’s stratified and deep, think ripe black cherry and wild strawberry, but layered with sophisticated notes of lavender, black pepper, and medicinal herbs. The Palate: Critics describe it as "full-bodied but weightless." You get that classic Barbera "crunch" and acidity, but it’s wrapped in a velvety, silken texture that only old vines can produce. The Finish: Long, savory, and slightly salty.
Critical Acclaim: 97 Points (Kerin O’Keefe, Former Italian Wine Editor for Wine Enthusiast): Calls it "utterly delicious" and "smooth and enveloping," suggesting a drinking window through 2037.
"Made with ungrafted 120-130 old vines that didn’t succumb phylloxera, the rare 2022 Barbera d’Alba Pre-Phylloxera is utterly delicious. Smooth and enveloping, full-bodied but weightless, it delivers succulent raspberry, ripe cherry, licorice, orange drop, black pepper and a dollop of vanilla before a lingering, salty finish. Thanks to the high vineyard altitude, it also has vibrancy thanks to its great acidity. Drink through 2037."
