2011 Larigi

Elio Altare's 2010 Barolos have always been spectacular from barrel, so it is hardly a surprise to see them showing so brilliantly from bottle. Altare continues to experiment with fully-destemmed Nebbiolo, a radical and meticulous approach to sorting I first wrote about a few years ago. The first 100% destemmed (sgranato a mano) Barolo is the 2010, which may not be commercially released. There is a big step up in quality in 2011, as the fruit was picked within a tighter window and therefore the fermentation was shorter and more controlled than in 2010. Needless, to say, it will be interesting to see where things go with this Barolo over the next few years. The 2011 Langhes are gorgeous, and display the early seductiveness of that year in spades. Vintage 2011 will be the last Brunate from Altare, as he lost access to the fruit, but it is the first for the estate's new Cannubi Barolo. There is plenty to look forward at Altare, a small, family-run estate that remains a benchmark for fine, hand-made, artisan Piedmont wines.

A long-time lover of Burgundy, Elio Altare is one of many Barolo modernists who treats his nebbiolo gently, almost as if it were pinot noir.He uses no commercial yeasts or enzymes, racks his wines a maximum of three times in all, and bottles without fining or filtration during the third summer after the harvest.Altare wasn't yet swallowing the hype about 2010, maintaining that "the wines could lack flesh and sweetness.What's a grand vin?" he asked rhetorically."Is it a black color?Is it 15% alcohol?For me, the most important thing is to make wine without faults every year."Altare described his 2009 Barolos as "nerveux, like the 2006s," adding that they are juicy and tight and will need a lot of time in the cellar.He went on to compare the 2008s to the 1988s for their finesse.As in recent years, my tasting began with Altare's intriguing Az. Ag. Campogrande white wines from steep terraced vineyards on the Ligurian Coast.