2010 Vigna Arborina Langhe Rosso

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.