1991 Langhe Larigi
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I have long believed the level of a producer can only be truly understood by looking at the small vintages, and this next set of wines is truly surprising. To be sure, none of the wines of the early 1990s is extraordinary, but they reveal so much about what it means to be a top-level grower. Altare's 1991s have always been wines that transcend the vintage, and that is also the case with the 1991 Vigna Larigi. One of the things I find most remarkable about this wine is its freshness, even at 18 years of age. The fruit remains intact and the wine's balance is beyond question, even if this is a relatively compact Larigi. The slightly hard tannins that define this vintage will always be a part of the wine's DNA, but this is a fine a bottle as was produced in what was a very difficult year.
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Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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Altare's 1991 Vigna Larigi demonstrates the vintage's shortcoming. The wine's compactness and high acid, short finish are in complete contrast to the sumptuous 1989 and 1990. The wine possesses deep color, an excessive amount of new oak, but a relatively good attack. However, once the wine hits the palate there is not much left. Even a genius such as Altare cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Importer: a Marc di Grazia Selection, Michael Skurnick Wines, Westbury, NY.