It is always quite amazing to see how good a wine Altare managed to make consistently from what at best is a 1er plot. Drinking youthfully, to say the least, quite a few years if not decades of drinking ahead. Glad to have more bottles of this.
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Guessed a modern Barolo from a strong vintage like '99 or '01 but was surprised this turned out to be older as it was showing so youthfully. Some VA and noticeable oak use on the nose but wasn’t obtrusive. The ripe cherry fruit, sharp acidity and polished veneer on the palate that made it an easy guess as a modern Barolo producer from a good year. Good for those who like larger-scaled, sensual wines.
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This is very good, but somewhat in the shadow of the ‘98 Conterno tonight (which, in fairness, is firing on all cylinders). Darker-toned on the nose, and not quite as lengthy on the palate as the Conterno. But very good nonetheless.
I’m sitting here with another glass and a piece of parmigiana Reggiano tonight (a day after opening) and I can see that my note last night really underrated this wine - this is gorgeous tonight, with distinct tar notes on the nose that I didn’t get last night. Delicious - kind of sad I only have one left.
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Tasted blind, this wine was easy to call as Italian. It had a deep red center with orange rims. The high- intensity nose was dramatic with its licorice, high toned funk, dried cherries, tar, and soil.
In the mouth, this wine had noticeable rounded tannins, firm acidity, and great length. It was well balanced but did beg for food given its size.
I found this to be lovely. It was more traditional than I expected from my first tasting of it 25 years ago. This is just coming into its window. I would suggest either PNP or decanting for 10 hours. This is just my guess based on one data point. Enjoy!
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A bit atypcial and surprisingly youthful for a 30 y old Barolo. Cherries, roses, orange peel, tobacco nose. Medium+ body. High acidity and good fruit levels. Tannic but well balanced. Very pleasant. Good elegant finish.
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What a pleasant surprise. Fresh, lively, well-balanced with delicious berry and sour cherry fruit, fine tannin, acid backbone. Quite youthful in color and aromas. Distinct profile, lacking typicality a bit, but very, very enjoyable.
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Tasted blind, very nice surprise, would never have guessed this was as old as 90. Very fresh with lively fruit and acidity, tannins fully integrated and a beautiful velvety mouthfeel. Altare is one of the modernist and use a lot of new French oak, but only a gentle touch of oak is apparent in this wine. Develops nicely in the glass, delicious licorice and caramel notes. One of the best wines of the weekend. Lots of life left in this bottle. 95p
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1990 Barolo and Barbaresco Retrospective II (The North End Grill): The nose was dark and intense, showing black earth, minerals, hauntingly dark floral tones, dried black cherry, cedar, and savory herbs. On the palate, I found unbelievable silky textures and medium-to-full bodied weight, with vibrant red berry fruits, spices, minerals and vibrant acidity that added great energy to the mix. It was so easy to like that you could easily find yourself drinking it instead of tasting. The finish was long with a display of dark red fruit, saturating sweet spice, tobacco and dried roses.
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The 1990 Arborina is exquisite tonight. The bouquet displayed a seductive mix if ripe black cherry, medicinal herbs, licorice, cinnamon and hints of smoke. With time in the glass, dusty floral tones and undergrowth emerged. On the palate, I was greeted by perfectly resolved tannin underscoring silky textures with saturating tart cherry, cedar and spice notes. A zing of vibrant acidity brought freshness as this finished long on spicy dark red fruit. Wow, Perfectly mature and firing on all cylinders.
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Dark, somewhat roasted - coffee, licorice, cloves, dark cherry, horsey. Powerful on finish - dark, roasted, resolved tannins, tar, some roses, dark cherry. Too roasted and volatile for me. Sweet, tar and spicy finish. Nose - 4-4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15-15.5/20.
With some time, this resolved more on the palate - prune, cherry, tart, roses - elegant, resolved tannins. The finish has improved with nice roses and tart berries. Nose - 4.5-5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5-5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-17/20.
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Surprisingly alive and showing off. Medium body with a little punch, violets, roses, and red cherries. Secondary flavors show in the background but I suspect they will never get too pronounced. Very enjoyable if not remarkable.
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Elio Altare Barolo Winemaker Dinner (La Pizza Fresca Ristorante): Just an amazing nose of flowers, tar, roses -- delicate and wonderfully integrated bouquet. The fruit is just as lively as '98, long and plentiful. Caressing mouth feel. great balance. Flowery and sophisticated. What a treat!
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A wine remarkably in control, that engages with you, seeking sometimes to flirt to decide whether to reveal itself or not. As this gets into adulthood, it will be very powerful.
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Più evoluto e decisamente molto più buono di quello bevuto in precedenza. I toni fruttati si sono attenuati, e la potenza si è un po' affinata ed ha guadagnato in eleganza. Rimane un po' poco fine compelssivamente
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A classic la Morra Barolo. As good as it gets from this commune. Almost lithe and very feminine in the mouth with amazingly smooth tannins giving the wine grip. Lost of fruit left in this wine as well. Drinking really well right now but this wine has years left to go.
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Blackberry, currant, spice notes dominate the palate while fairly moderate-sized tannins bring some excitement to the midpalate. A hint of earth/spice comes and goes on the long finish. This wine is holding up VERY well and should do so for many years to come. foodandwineblog.com
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Dinner at Fearrington House. Dark garnet in color. Very perfumed with lots of roses and sour cherries. Medium bodied and with a long finish that still shows gritty/chalky tannins. A really lovely wine that is still on the upswing but is beautiful to drink today. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94
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Still deeply garnet colored. Reticent on the nose. Still fairly primary on the nose and palate. Not surprising for a high profile Langhe 1990 vintage wine but I thought it might be a little more evolved for a modernist producer like Altare. It is just beginning to smooth out and become integrated with softening tannins. A beautiful bottle of wine but just at the beginning of it maturity profile. Not really showing secondary or tertiary characteristics yet but his should continue to develop nicely for years to come. Should merit a higher score in another five years.
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8/20/2023 - Dibbs Likes this wine: 94 Points
It is always quite amazing to see how good a wine Altare managed to make consistently from what at best is a 1er plot. Drinking youthfully, to say the least, quite a few years if not decades of drinking ahead. Glad to have more bottles of this.
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8/19/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 93 Points
Guessed a modern Barolo from a strong vintage like '99 or '01 but was surprised this turned out to be older as it was showing so youthfully. Some VA and noticeable oak use on the nose but wasn’t obtrusive. The ripe cherry fruit, sharp acidity and polished veneer on the palate that made it an easy guess as a modern Barolo producer from a good year. Good for those who like larger-scaled, sensual wines.
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11/27/2021 - Bob H wrote:
This is very good, but somewhat in the shadow of the ‘98 Conterno tonight (which, in fairness, is firing on all cylinders). Darker-toned on the nose, and not quite as lengthy on the palate as the Conterno. But very good nonetheless.
I’m sitting here with another glass and a piece of parmigiana Reggiano tonight (a day after opening) and I can see that my note last night really underrated this wine - this is gorgeous tonight, with distinct tar notes on the nose that I didn’t get last night. Delicious - kind of sad I only have one left.
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6/7/2020 - fclarity wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind, this wine was easy to call as Italian. It had a deep red center with orange rims. The high- intensity nose was dramatic with its licorice, high toned funk, dried cherries, tar, and soil.
In the mouth, this wine had noticeable rounded tannins, firm acidity, and great length. It was well balanced but did beg for food given its size.
I found this to be lovely. It was more traditional than I expected from my first tasting of it 25 years ago. This is just coming into its window. I would suggest either PNP or decanting for 10 hours. This is just my guess based on one data point. Enjoy!
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12/31/2019 - Vladimir1111 wrote: 94 Points
Great wine and value. Medium body, elegant, still beautiful fruit just a little much of earth on the nose which completely resolved within hours
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9/9/2019 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A bit atypcial and surprisingly youthful for a 30 y old Barolo. Cherries, roses, orange peel, tobacco nose. Medium+ body. High acidity and good fruit levels. Tannic but well balanced. Very pleasant. Good elegant finish.
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8/11/2019 - SteveHyde Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a pleasant surprise. Fresh, lively, well-balanced with delicious berry and sour cherry fruit, fine tannin, acid backbone. Quite youthful in color and aromas. Distinct profile, lacking typicality a bit, but very, very enjoyable.
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10/1/2017 - Markus IWC wrote: 95 Points
Tasted blind, very nice surprise, would never have guessed this was as old as 90. Very fresh with lively fruit and acidity, tannins fully integrated and a beautiful velvety mouthfeel. Altare is one of the modernist and use a lot of new French oak, but only a gentle touch of oak is apparent in this wine. Develops nicely in the glass, delicious licorice and caramel notes. One of the best wines of the weekend. Lots of life left in this bottle. 95p
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9/27/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
1990 Barolo and Barbaresco Retrospective II (The North End Grill): The nose was dark and intense, showing black earth, minerals, hauntingly dark floral tones, dried black cherry, cedar, and savory herbs. On the palate, I found unbelievable silky textures and medium-to-full bodied weight, with vibrant red berry fruits, spices, minerals and vibrant acidity that added great energy to the mix. It was so easy to like that you could easily find yourself drinking it instead of tasting. The finish was long with a display of dark red fruit, saturating sweet spice, tobacco and dried roses.
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2/5/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 93 Points
The 1990 Arborina is exquisite tonight. The bouquet displayed a seductive mix if ripe black cherry, medicinal herbs, licorice, cinnamon and hints of smoke. With time in the glass, dusty floral tones and undergrowth emerged. On the palate, I was greeted by perfectly resolved tannin underscoring silky textures with saturating tart cherry, cedar and spice notes. A zing of vibrant acidity brought freshness as this finished long on spicy dark red fruit. Wow, Perfectly mature and firing on all cylinders.
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3/7/2015 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 92 Points
Dark, somewhat roasted - coffee, licorice, cloves, dark cherry, horsey. Powerful on finish - dark, roasted, resolved tannins, tar, some roses, dark cherry. Too roasted and volatile for me. Sweet, tar and spicy finish. Nose - 4-4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15-15.5/20.
With some time, this resolved more on the palate - prune, cherry, tart, roses - elegant, resolved tannins. The finish has improved with nice roses and tart berries. Nose - 4.5-5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5-5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-17/20.
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11/9/2014 - Topper wrote: 92 Points
Surprisingly alive and showing off. Medium body with a little punch, violets, roses, and red cherries. Secondary flavors show in the background but I suspect they will never get too pronounced. Very enjoyable if not remarkable.
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11/6/2014 - swapdoc Likes this wine:
Elio Altare Barolo Winemaker Dinner (La Pizza Fresca Ristorante): Just an amazing nose of flowers, tar, roses -- delicate and wonderfully integrated bouquet. The fruit is just as lively as '98, long and plentiful. Caressing mouth feel. great balance. Flowery and sophisticated. What a treat!
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5/11/2013 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Another Saturday at Knightsbridge - mostly blind (Northbrook, IL): Tasted double blind. Instantly recognizable as from Piedmont based on the floral, anise and tar aromatic start. Still fresh and charming with lots of power on finish.
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9/21/2011 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Mixed Barolo and Barbaresco 1958-1990 (River Café, Hammersmith, London): For all its tannin, this was smooth, fine, elegant, restrained, with some floral fragrance
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7/11/2011 - Dubie wrote: 94 Points
A wine remarkably in control, that engages with you, seeking sometimes to flirt to decide whether to reveal itself or not. As this gets into adulthood, it will be very powerful.
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10/10/2010 - SteveHyde wrote:
showed beautifully at a tasting of the NKs. Outperformed. Will need to open another soon.
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10/9/2010 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
1990 Barolo: Modern vs. Traditional (private home): Much more expansive nose. Delicious cherries. Expansive. Great potential. Modern, but so much better than the last one. [1990 Vigna Arborina!]
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9/1/2010 - Jossik wrote: 91 Points
Più evoluto e decisamente molto più buono di quello bevuto in precedenza. I toni fruttati si sono attenuati, e la potenza si è un po' affinata ed ha guadagnato in eleganza. Rimane un po' poco fine compelssivamente
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3/13/2010 - Jossik wrote: 89 Points
Naso molto fruttone e carico, spudoratamente giovane. Bocca parecchio acida e anch'essa indietrissimo. Forse complessivamente poco fine, ma buono
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5/24/2009 - il_diavolo wrote: 92 Points
still quite dark in colour. comes across as young, potent and still life in it. more fruit than the 1989 and truffle on the nose. a real pleasure.
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12/12/2008 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 96 Points
A classic la Morra Barolo. As good as it gets from this commune. Almost lithe and very feminine in the mouth with amazingly smooth tannins giving the wine grip. Lost of fruit left in this wine as well. Drinking really well right now but this wine has years left to go.
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10/16/2008 - foodandwineblog wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry, currant, spice notes dominate the palate while fairly moderate-sized tannins bring some excitement to the midpalate. A hint of earth/spice comes and goes on the long finish. This wine is holding up VERY well and should do so for many years to come. foodandwineblog.com
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11/4/2006 - JeffGMorris wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Fearrington House. Dark garnet in color. Very perfumed with lots of roses and sour cherries. Medium bodied and with a long finish that still shows gritty/chalky tannins. A really lovely wine that is still on the upswing but is beautiful to drink today. 50+13+13+9+9 = 94
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9/30/2006 - Chateaunewf wrote: 92 Points
Still deeply garnet colored. Reticent on the nose. Still fairly primary on the nose and palate. Not surprising for a high profile Langhe 1990 vintage wine but I thought it might be a little more evolved for a modernist producer like Altare. It is just beginning to smooth out and become integrated with softening tannins. A beautiful bottle of wine but just at the beginning of it maturity profile. Not really showing secondary or tertiary characteristics yet but his should continue to develop nicely for years to come. Should merit a higher score in another five years.
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