Elio Altare Barolo Arborina 2004

"The 2004 Barolo Arborina is a surprisingly super-ripe, concentrated and soft-textured wine loaded with sweet fruit. It offers outstanding length and ripe tannins in a very seductive style of Barolo. Three bottles have shown some degree of variation, suggesting the wine is still acquiring its balance after its bottling this summer. Altare says the very low levels of SO2 in the Barolo Arborina probably contribute to the wine's "flatness." I didn't pick up on a flat quality in the wine, but the Arborina is decidedly less fresh and vibrant than the two other 2004 Barolos. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2022."
-Wine Advocate