Elio Altare Barolo Arborina 2020

Elio Altare changed the way Barolo was made in La Morra, breaking with local tradition through shorter macerations and ageing in small barrels to draw rounder, more approachable fruit from Nebbiolo. This wine comes from the Arborina cru in La Morra, a sector of the Barolo zone known for elegant, perfumed wines. The soils here are calcareous marl of the Tortonian type, which tends to give finer tannins and earlier accessibility than the sandstone soils of the eastern communes. La Morra sits at altitude with a marked diurnal range, so the grapes ripen fully while keeping the firm acidity and tannin that make Barolo ageworthy. Careful work in the cellar and ageing in barrel polish the tannins and add a layer of spice and vanilla from the oak. The wine is pale garnet in the glass. The nose leads with cherry, rose and dried herbs over liquorice, tobacco and leather. On the palate it is full bodied and structured, the tannins firm but ripe and well integrated, with bright acidity carrying a long, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees, decanted an hour or two ahead, with braised beef, roast lamb or game.