Elvio Cogno, Barbera d'Alba

Wonderful Barbera. It avoids the liquorice / heavy oak style which some producers fancy and instead opts for a rich, spicy, misterious, but still dynamic path. The beauty in this is how it contains quite a lot of stuff (cocoa, leather, cherry etc) but still manages to remain vibrant and playful, almost in a pinot noir-kind of way. I also note the very nice fruity acidity which gives this a long and consistent presence in the mouth (even though it's …