Elio Altare

Seen as one of the most seismic disruptors in the Italian wine scene, Elio Altare, was founded in 1948 and is located in the commune of La Morra, Barolo. In 1976, Elio, who was eager to investigate and emulate the success of other international wine regions, took a revelatory trip to Burgundy, France. This marked a turning point in the life of Elio Altare and the entire Barolo region and its wines. Before then, the use of short maceration times and aging in small new French oak barrique was unheard of, and as it turned out, blasphemous to many “traditionalists” including his father who sadly disinherited his son upon his death in 1985. Undeterred, Elio bought back the winery and vineyards from his siblings and continued his “modernist” winemaking philosophy of lower tannins, more elegance and immediate approachability. The international community took notice and breathed new life into the region and its wines. Now seen as the founding pioneer of the “modernist movement” in Barolo, these wines are farmed organically and fermented using indigenous yeast and minimal sulfur. Now completely owned by his daughter, Silvia, the wines of Elio Altare continue to be some of the most hedonistic and sought-after expressions of Nebbiolo in all of Italy.