The 2009 Barolo Brunate immediately catapults you into a realm of elegance and finesse that reaches the divine. The 2011 vintage will be the last edition of this wine because Altare lost his lease in this celebrated vineyard. Instead, he will start producing a Cannubi expression to be released in two years’ time. The Brunate is generous in fruit and texture from the outset. The wine grabs your attention thanks to the thick layers of dark fruit, spice, leather and tar that run through it. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2035. Elio Altare is never a man to mince words. He tells the rags-to-riches story of Barolo with conviction, passion and firsthand knowledge. La Morra went from having a handful of farmers (five or six) back in the early 1970s to dozens of estates today. Back then, grape growers were considered so low in social rank, many could not find local women to marry. They imported wives from poorer regions of southern Italy, like Calabria and Basilicata, to live in the Langhe. “C’era la fame qui,” he says. (“We were starving.”) From his panoramic porch overlooking the Frazione Annunziata section of La Morra, he sighs, “Just look at us now.” He tells the story of his first trip to France: “It blew my mind that producers in Burgundy were buying Porsches and yachts with just a few hectares of vine while we were dirt poor.” Highly influenced by that trip (his use of French barrique for aging Nebbiolo is a prime example), Altare returned to Italy and vowed to shake things up. He most certainly did. Various American importers, including: Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300; Estate Wines, San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411