1999 Elio Altare Barolo Brunate
Market price
Buying options
Tasting notes
Dark ruby. Altare's Barolo Brunate perfectly captures the heart of darkness of this famous cru, with its characteristic balsamic nose and layers of sweet dark fruit, spice and rose that gradually unfold as this magical wine opens to reveal its expansive personality. Blessed with extraordinary length, complexity and class, it is an unforgettable wine in every way. With a production of just 1,600-1,800 bottles a year, Elio Altare's Brunate is surely one of Piedmont's greatest cult wines. Highly recommended.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
1999 Elio Altare Barolo Brunate—Lively dark ruby. Huge, masculine nose of flowers, menthol, eucalyptus, spices, licorice and minerals. Not as ripe as the 2000 but showing superb length on the palate and more clearly defined and delineated flavors of dark rich red fruits, with a balsamic note on the finish. An ethereal, austere and classic Barolo with lots of nuance. Easily the most complex and interesting of the three wines. Highly recommended.
The famous Brunate vineyard has long represented a kind of Holy Grail for this producer, and with the 1999 Barolo Brunate one can see why. The darkest and deepest in color of the three Barolo offerings, it is easily the most complex on the nose as well, with abundant notes of herbs, tobacco, leather, and licorice. The palate offers an avalanche of lusciously ripe black cherry fruit, explosive in its force but shapely and voluptuous in its tactile sensations, quintessentially Nebbiolo in its presentation of roses, mocha, and melted tar. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700, and Estate Wines, Ltd., San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411
Deep red. Deeply pitched aromas of raspberry, currant, cherry and menthol. Sweet and broad but brooding and very young. Intense spice and menthol notes contribute to the wine's youthfully aggressive character. The tannins are broad and sweet, and the wine has excellent persistence. May well merit a higher score with time in bottle, but today this can't quite compete with the '98 Brunate for sheer perfume.