2021 Elio Altare 'Larigi' Langhe Rosso - PIEDMONT, ITALY. 750ml
Barbera from Arborina.
Plush redcurrants and plums with good acidity and a firm, concentrated core, the 2021 Larigi is intense and virile though it carries it well. Barbera tends to accumulate high alcohol, so landing on the right picking date can be complicated. Its saving grace is high acidity. Altare explained that they now have an interplanted mix of young and old vines because of flavescenza dorata. Production has dropped from 3000 bottles down to an unsustainable 900 bottles per year. A stunning 70-year-old, south-facing Barbera parcel sitting at the top of the Arborina vineyard.
“The 2021 Larigi is classy, elegant and super-polished. Silky tannins wrap around a core of red cherry/plum fruit. Spice, new leather, cedar and blood orange all meld together. The 2021 is one of the more refined, medium-bodied Larigis I have tasted here. The purity of the fruit is compelling.”
95 points - By Antonio Galloni on November 2023
