The 2015 Barolo Arborina is soft, pretty and sensual. The warmth of the vintage has softened the typically hard young Arborina tannins, which in turn gives the wine more near-term approachability than is often the case. Floral, cedar and tobacco notes add an attractive upper register to this very pretty and nuanced Barolo from Altare.

The 2015 Barolo Arborina is a more rounded wine in this vintage, offering attractive ripe notes of apricot, crushed flowers, raspberries, and dried earth. The palate reveals medium-bodied richness, with a plush mid-palate, ripe tannins, noble structure, and a graceful and even finish. It’s showing very well at this stage, and for my taste, this is a vintage I would prefer to drink over the next several years, although it appears to be holding up quite evenly and should have another 10 years of prime drinking. Drink 2025-2035. Each of the wines for this report were tasted with Silvia Altare at the estate in La Morra. During this tasting, I was reminded of how, as trends come and go in the wine world, there is a timeless nature to the wines of those who excel within the framework of what they have historically accomplished. That is certainly the case at Altare, where they continue to produce wines in the traditional style of the estate in 100% new French oak, but also make wines dialing back the use of oak, which is more in vogue today. Additionally, in the hands of such skilled artisans, they achieve a refinement that will often come across as heavy-handed and out of balance when others try to imitate it. Each of the wines in this report is a unique and singular expression in its own right.

La Morra. Just mid ruby. Gorgeous, fragrant nose of raspberry with a hint of cinnamon bark. Succulent fruit with lively acidity and long-lasting crunchy tannins. Very long and succulent and finely perfumed. (WS)

Pale-medium ruby-garnet. Touch of apple-skin oxidation to the nutty oak, alongside dried red cherry and balsamic, with clove spice. Intensity of balsamic, dried red cherry, chocolate, spice and firm, chalky tannins. Warming finish. Decent length. Will it last? (TJ)