Altare’s 2007 Barolo Brunate is dark and sensual in its plums, wild cherries, menthol and minerals. The French oak is decidedly more pronounced in the Brunate than some of the other wines in this lineup, so additional cellaring is a must. Still, it is impossible to miss the substance, purity and sheer greatness of what is in the glass. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2032. These days Elio Altare keeps a lower profile than he did a decade ago, when his outspoken views were the subject of so much controversy in the press. Then again, Altare doesn’t really need to say anything at all. His wines have established a track record of virtually unparalleled brilliance that speaks far more eloquently than words alone ever could. Never one to be content, Altare continues to push forward with new experiments. One of the most intriguing wines I tasted during my visit to Piedmont in November 2010 was a Barolo made from 100% hand-destemmed fruit. Nebbiolo is typically said to be produced with no stems. The reality is that Nebbiolo always contains a percentage of stems because the stem material within the bunches themselves is quite fragile, which makes it impossible to remove all of the stems. Unless you work literally berry by berry, 100% entirely by hand from start to finish – which is exactly what Altare and his team did with one of their 2010 Baroli. Tasted from barrel, the wine is extremely interesting for its explosive fruit and round, voluptuous texture. It will be a fascinating Barolo to follow. Turning to wines that will soon be on the market, I have always found Altare’s 2007s superb from barrel. Now that the wines are in bottle they are every bit as profound as my early impressions suggested. These are must-have bottles. Various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael CA; tel.(415) 492-9411; Robert HoudeWines, Bensenville IL; tel. (630) 422-1119