2007 Elio Altare Barolo Arborina

The 2007 Barolo Arborina is another stunner. The intense aromatics are a dead give-way for what is to follow, which is to say a virtual explosion of flavors. The Arborina boasts fabulous balance, intensity and raciness in a style that brings to mind the wines of Henri Jayer.

The 2007 Barolo Arborina is another stunner. The intense aromatics are a dead give-way for what is to follow, which is to say a virtual explosion of flavors. The Arborina boasts fabulous balance, intensity and raciness in a style that brings to mind the wines of Henri Jayer. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2032. These days Elio Altare keeps a lower profile than he did a decade ago, when his outspoken views were the subject of so much controversy in the press. Then again, Altare doesn’t really need to say anything at all. His wines have established a track record of virtually unparalleled brilliance that speaks far more eloquently than words alone ever could. Never one to be content, Altare continues to push forward with new experiments. One of the most intriguing wines I tasted during my visit to Piedmont in November 2010 was a Barolo made from 100% hand-destemmed fruit. Nebbiolo is typically said to be produced with no stems. The reality is that Nebbiolo always contains a percentage of stems because the stem material within the bunches themselves is quite fragile, which makes it impossible to remove all of the stems. Unless you work literally berry by berry, 100% entirely by hand from start to finish – which is exactly what Altare and his team did with one of their 2010 Baroli. Tasted from barrel, the wine is extremely interesting for its explosive fruit and round, voluptuous texture. It will be a fascinating Barolo to follow. Turning to wines that will soon be on the market, I have always found Altare’s 2007s superb from barrel. Now that the wines are in bottle they are every bit as profound as my early impressions suggested. These are must-have bottles. Various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; tel.(415) 492-9411; Robert HoudeWines, Bensenville IL; tel. (630) 422-1119

The 2007 Langhe Arborina (Nebbiolo) is soft, silky and perfumed in its red cherries, menthol, flowers and licorice. This sumptuous, impeccably balanced wine boasts incredible inner sweetness and tons of elegance, reminding me at times of a great Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco. Altare’s 2007 Langhe Arborina is a stunning, drop-dead gorgeous wine. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. I was completely blown away by Elio Altare’s 2007s. The wines show incredible purity of fruit, rich, textured personalities, soft tannins and sublime overall balance. This is one of the very finest young vintages I have tasted here. Interestingly the wines were much more open when I tasted them in New York in September 2009 than they were a few weeks later at the winery. I also was impressed with the white 2008 Cinqueterre, a wine Altare is making from impossibly steep vineyards in Liguria. The 2008 showed elements of Riesling-like minerality and tons of balance. Antonio Galloni, Wine Advocate # 185 Oct 2009