2003 Barolo Brunate

Over the years I have tasted just about every wine Elio Altare and his family have made, so I can't say I am surprised by how well the 2003 Barolos have turned out. Still, comparative tastings show to what a large degree this small La Morra estate rises to the top.

I caught up with Elio Altare on his birthday, and in the middle of his 41st harvest. He was in a contemplative mood, taking a leisurely half hour to draw a distinction between the true vigneron who physically works the land and has nowhere else to go and the new breed of merchants who buy into an area, use up the land, and then move on to the next hot thing. Reluctantly, I had to remind him that I would also love to taste his wines. Altare considers the 2004 Barolos to be complete wines, comparing them to the '96s in acidity. "There was never a problem with these wines," said Altare, adding that the Barolos were racked only four times prior to being bottled in August of this year. In comparison, he went on, the 2001s are sturdier and "very Barolo," while the 2000s are "more like pinot noir. " (Like many of his colleagues in Barolo, Altare is a long-time Burgundy lover. ) Altare succeeded in 2003 by carrying out what he described as four harvests. "The sugars were already 14% in August, but there wasn't enough color and the tannins were still green," he told me. Eventually, he picked his Arborina vines over a period of three weeks, from September 7 through 27. "No fruit, not even peaches or apples, is all ripe at the same time. We took this very seriously in 2003. " (Marc de Grazia; numerous importers, including Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; and Estate Wines Ltd. , San Rafael, CA)

Elio Altare's wines represent the finest of the art isanal tradition, so it can hardly be surpr ising that he has once again produced some of the vintage's most compelling Barolos. In fact, with h is 2003 Barolos Altare shows just how far ahead of the pack he is. Now that he is officially “retired,” Altare is even more philosophical than in the past. “At the end of the day 50% of what makes a wine great is luck,” says Altare, in h is character istic self-deprecating style. If that is the case Altare must surely be one of the luckiest growers on the planet. “Th is is my 40th harvest, yet each vintage has a unique story to tell, which is what makes wine so fascinating. In 2003 we did four Nebbiolo harvests from the7th to the 28th of September. The earlier harvests gave us some freshness while the later harvests provided more richness and body.” Altare's 2004s are potentially profound, and h is cellar also holds some of the finest 2005 Barolos I have tasted so far. Unfortunately Altare's Barolo vineyards suffered extensive hail damage in 2006.