I was invited to a small private tasting of the wines of Elio Altare yesterday as this was my first tasting of these wines I had a little notion of what they were about but was really stunned by the wines. I made some cursory notes. Clearly Elio Altare's time in Burgundy is reflected in his wines and while modern in style these wines really showed the underlying structure of what Nebbiolo can be while balancing the fruit, tannins and acid into a beautifully well rounded wine that can stand some age.
We started with two non-Barolo
2011 Dolcetto d'Alba-Very deep purple inthe glass. Nose of ripe berries. Plump and juicy with a nice tannic grip and acidity to balance the intensisty. Perhaps the besst Dolcetto I've tasted. Fruity and fun and a great buy for just under $20.
2010 Barbera d'Alba- As expected a bit more stuffing and grip than the Dolcetto but still a very expressive wine with plenty of blackberry, sage like herbal notes, firm tannins for just under $30
The Barolos
2007 Barolo (La Morra) This bottle was slightly corked and some fot it more than others. My impression was mushroom and red fruits on the nose, The wine still showed the purity and clarity of the fruit with out being overwhelmingly flabby.
2007 Barolo Arborina-WOW. This wine really popped. Dark red in the glass, medium bodied. Powerful aromas, tar, truffle, mint cherries and berries. Rich on the palate with abundant fruit and layers of complexity. Still a baby it was a bit tannic but clearly ten years will turn this into a real beauty.
2005 Barolo Ceretta-Incredible finesse and power in a wine with ample fruit and ripeness. A bit lighter in color than the Arborina but a very complex nose of anise, mint, flowers blackberries and black cherries. Much more elegant than the Arborina at this point. My favorite of the bunch.
The Bianco:
2009Altare Campogrande Cinque Terra- We actually finished with Altare's white wine from Liguria. A blend of Bosco and Albarola this was the most interesting wine of the day. Pale golden, firm and tight it was recommended that we decant the wine then we let it sit in the glass through the tasting. Flinty, mineral driven a bit of lime and citrus. Really cool wine but at $65 it didn't interest me that much.