Barolo, 2019
Altare’s Barolo Classico is routinely an excellent one. It has seen a few tweaks in recent years in terms of the blend but has now settled with a roughly even mix of Castiglione Falletto, Barolo (Sarmassa, a plot on the edge of Le Liste) and Serralunga d’Alba (Badarina). A fine interplay of dark and red fruits, with a sappy herbal cut through the wine. There is a certain strictness to the ’19 but there is great detail and complexity on display too. The 2019 was aged for 24 months in only used barriques after fermentation in stainless steel.
critic reviews
The 2019 Barolo is a beautiful new release from Elio Altare. Silvia Altare (Elio's daughter) tells me, "The 2019 vintage was easy to make, resulting in wines that are rich, fat and powerful. The 2018 vintage was lean and 2017 was hot, but 2019 is classic." This wine sees fruit sourced from across three villages of Barolo (some estate-owned and some leased), and winemaking was straightforward, with short maceration times and few rackings, Silvia says. The results are vinous and fruit-forward with plump cherry and blackberry over a textured, full-bodied approach. The wine needs a few more years of bottle age.
The 2019 Barolo is bright and effusive in the glass, with lovely aromatic presence and fine balance. Aromatic and broad, with gorgeous balance, the 2019 will be easy to drink and enjoy young. Crushed red berry fruit, blood orange, mint, cinnamon, pomegranate, cedar and sweet floral top notes. This is such a classy Barolo from Altare.