2008 Barolo Brunate

This is a stellar set of wines from Elio Altare. The 2008 Nebbioli were brought in between October 7 and 10, which is a bit late for this estate. The 2008s have a Pinot-like sweetness that is incredibly appealing. Experiments with a fully destemmed Barolo continue. It will be interesting to see how those wines develop over the coming years, but so far the results are intriguing, to say the least. The biggest piece of news, however, is a new lease on a parcel of Cannubi, of which there are now five barrels resting in the cellar with vintage 2011. The new addition will console Altare fans over the loss of the Barolo Brunate, which will no longer be made, as Altare lost access to that fruit after the 2011 harvest.

Long-time Burgundy aficionado Elio Altare loves the style of the 2008 Barolos. "Like 1998 and 1988 they are less powerful but more elegant and delicate, more Burgundian," he told me, adding that "Barolo is my interpretation, and my model and first love is Burgundy." Incidentally, at the end of my September tasting here I tried a sample of 2010 nebbiolo from Arborina that had been destemmed by hand and fermented for considerably longer than is Altare's standard practice. With its noble floral and fruit syrup notes and silky texture, the wine struck me as a hypothetical blend of Vosne-Romanee and Gevrey-Chambertin. Don't be surprised if Altare makes more use of this approach in the future.