Barbera, Larigi Langhe, 2017
Rich, sweet dark plum and black cherry fruit covered in dark chocolate and infused with herb and oak spice. Fluid and velvety but very dense with a powerful, warming finish. A stunning 65-year-old, south-facing Barbera parcel sitting at the top of the Arborina vineyard. Aged for 18 months in new oak barriques. 3000 bottles a year are made.
critic reviews
Larigi is a historic family vineyard in La Morra planted to the Barbera grape. The Elio Altare 2017 Langhe Larigi pours from the bottle with a darkly saturated appearance and bold aromatic intensity. The hot vintage underlines aromas of blackberry preserves, candied cherry, cola and scorched earth. The wine rests in new oak for 18 months, so you get plenty of integrated smoke, tar and spice as well. The alcohol content is 16%, one of the highest measures I have seen in this report. You hardly feel it whatsoever because the wine offers terrific overall balance despite all that natural richness and opulence. A mere 1,920 bottles were released.
The 2017 Larigi is silky, perfumed and gracious. Bright floral notes and red berry fruit are front and center in this super-appealing, mid-weight Larigi. The 2017 is wonderfully finessed and nuanced. As always, Larigi needs time in bottle to be at its most expressive; today, the 2017 is primary and fruity. Cellaring is essential.