Elvio Cogno’s Barolo Cascina Nuova 2021 is the estate’s entry-level Barolo, but it comes from a serious address: the Ravera cru near Novello in Piedmont. Fruit is drawn from a three-hectare parcel on clay-limestone soils planted in 2003, the estate’s youngest vineyard. The blend is all Nebbiolo, dominated by the Lampia and Michet clones (reported as 60% and 40%), with a small portion of the Picotener biotype mixed in among the vines. Vinification is traditional: a long, 40-day submerged-cap maceration in steel followed by 24 months in large Slavonian oak casks, with additional bottle age before release. Alcohol is listed at 14.5%.

The broader context matters here: 2021 is widely considered a top Barolo vintage. Wine Spectator summed up the year as “structured, intense and balanced, with freshness and fine aging potential,” and rated the overall Barolo vintage 99 points—an encouraging backdrop for a wine built for the cellar.

Critical reception for Cascina Nuova 2021 is excellent, led by two standout 96-point reviews. In Vinous, Kerin O’Keefe calls it “a fantastic wine” and notes “impressive depth” for this tier, detailing aromas of “wild rose, forest berry, sun-warmed hay, and dark spice,” and a palate shaped around “Marasca cherry, raspberry, and star anise,” supported by “taut refined tannins” and fresh acidity. James Suckling, via reviewer Jacobo García Andrade, also awarded 96 points, highlighting a profile that is “highly aromatic and expressive of anise, incense, blood orange, and cranberry,” and praising its “medium-bodied but well-defined, even feel.”

Other strong scores reinforce the picture: 95 points from Ian D’Agata and Audrey Frick (JebDunnuck.com), and a cluster of 94s from Monica Larner (Wine Advocate), Michaela Morris (Decanter), and Falstaff. The suggested drinking window from O’Keefe—2028 to 2036—captures the overall message: approachable authority now, with clear potential to develop.