2007 Langhe Arborina

The 2007 Langhe Arborina (Nebbiolo) is soft, silky and perfumed in its red cherries, menthol, flowers and licorice. This sumptuous, impeccably balanced wine boasts incredible inner sweetness and tons of elegance, reminding me at times of a great Bruno Giacosa Barbaresco. Altare’s 2007 Langhe Arborina is a stunning, drop-dead gorgeous wine. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2027. I was completely blown away by Elio Altare’s 2007s. The wines show incredible purity of fruit, rich, textured personalities, soft tannins and sublime overall balance. This is one of the very finest young vintages I have tasted here. Interestingly the wines were much more open when I tasted them in New York in September 2009 than they were a few weeks later at the winery. I also was impressed with the white 2008 Cinqueterre, a wine Altare is making from impossibly steep vineyards in Liguria. The 2008 showed elements of Riesling-like minerality and tons of balance. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including: de Grazia Imports; tel. (417) 732-4200; Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; (415) 492-9411, Giuliana Imports, Boulder CO; (303) 547-6343, Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville IL; (630) 422-1119