Community Tasting Notes 10

• lightning wrote: 93 points

  July 24, 2023 - Long and deep, the small format new oak influence is apparent yet is reasonably integrated. Bold tannins, dark fruits, violets and oak spice before transitioning to a black tea and cinnamon end. Still a babe, continue cellaring...or if drinking now, give an extended decant.

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• Dale M wrote: 94 points

  December 14, 2020 - Decanted 2 hrs. Probably in my top two or three bottles in the cellar in terms of anticipation as I have loved the 01 Altare Brunate in the past. The 04 met or exceeded those expectations. Explosive and already very complex aromatics, loaded with flowers, soy and deep spice notes. While not up to the level of the nose, the palate of this youthful 04 has all the making of greatness. Primary, with sweet dark plums and cherries carry a sweetness that is perfectly interwoven with the wines acidity and tannin. Getting down to it, what separates Altare (for me) from the modern / modern leaning producers is how the obvious fruit and yes some oak, carries a weightless quality that at the end of the day, give an overall classic feel, it just comes from a different route. I will hold my next bottle for another 5 to 10 years. Conservative 94 today.

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• Pd1963 wrote:

  September 7, 2020 - Took 4 hours to open. Once so, delicous cherry tea rose petals

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• Eric Guido Likes this wine: 95 points

  November 11, 2019 - The 2004 Elio Altare Barolo Brunate showed incredible depths of intense crushed raspberry, lifted by dusty dried roses, and cedar shavings, as raspberry morphed to fresh strawberry, taking on a prettier yet also earthy persona, with hints of savory herbs, moist soil tones and iodine. On the palate, I found silky textures with vibrant acids unfurling a mix of tart red fruits, savory spices and herbs, saline-minerality and red inner florals. The purity was remarkable, not showing a hint of oak, as the '04 Brunate finished long, with fine tannins holding firm as brisk acids kept things lively and fresh, resonating on pure red berry fruits with hints of savory herbs and spice... this is so beautiful and one of the top '04s I've tasted to date!

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• Bordeaux_Jon wrote: 90 points

  March 25, 2019 - Great vineyard, famous producer, great vintage, and great critic reviews. I expected a lot more from this wine. The critic reviews suggested it would be enjoyable now. However, it was super monolithic even with hours of air. Dark in colour (surely due to modernist style), and with darker red fruits and some tar, it does taste like Barolo, which is more than I can say for the 1999 Altare Arborina, but it lacks that wines complexity. Perhaps it just needs more time, or the emperor simply has no clothes. I think those who care more about palate than aromatic complexity, like my wife, will like it more, but for me this was basic Barolo.

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Pro Reviews 3

Wine Definition

• Vintage 2004
• Type Red
• Producer Elio Altare
• Varietal Nebbiolo
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard Brunate
• Country Italy
• Region Piedmont
• SubRegion Langhe
• Appellation Barolo

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 11 (3%)
• In Cellars 235 (59%)
• Consumed 149 (38%)

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