Elio Altare Vigna Larigi 2004:
I had no real intention of opening this . . . really. But, when I opened another bottle (of something completely different btw) and it turn out to be terrible, I asked my friend to pick out something to drink. When he picked this I didn’t have the heart to shout “No . . . its too young!” Plus, he had just returned to Atlanta after traveling for two months abroad so I felt compelled to appease him. While I showed him around my new house that I am trying to finish I let the wine open up in a decanter. I tried to milk the tour as long as I could, just to give the wine some time! When we returned we had no choice but to dive right in. Along with a purple/black color the wine presented a intense nose of ripe blackberries, spiced vanilla, purple flowers and faded tar. The fruit was much sweeter (in a good way) than I anticipated and the tannins, while grippy, were beginning to integrate. There was some toasty oak, smoke, bramble and droplets of licorice. Overall a pleasure to drink despite the fact that we were somewhat mistreating it on this night. I am happy to report that I have a few more tucked away that I will not revist for a few years, lest some other calamity forces my hand. For now though rest assured if you find yourself in the same position you won’t disappointed if you pop one. 94 points