Elio Altare – Barolo Arborina – 2021

Description

The drive for change has always been the engine behind new discoveries throughout history—the desire to explore new paths and alternative approaches, marking a break with past customs. In the world of Barolo, this shift took place in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Elio Altare was an enterprising young man from the Langhe, originally from Dogliani, who, thanks to his grandfather Giuseppe, put down roots in La Morra, where he moved with his family and began working the land. These were difficult times when the local economy was in crisis and many people were abandoning the precarious life of farming to move to the cities; they were among the few who remained and dedicated themselves fully to viticulture. Being a very charismatic figure, his breakthrough was not long in coming; convinced of the enormous potential of Langa wines—which had been greatly underestimated up to that point—he decided that it was necessary to change the traditional mindset. He made several enlightening trips to Burgundy in search of new inspiration for winemaking, returning home brimming with countless ideas about what he should do. So he cut up all the old large barrels in the cellar with a chainsaw to make room for the new French barriques. For this (historic) act, he was disinherited by his father! Elio was a pioneering producer who sparked a true revolution by proposing a new way of making Barolo; an ideological movement emerged, led by a group of young people: the famous “Barolo Boys.” Producers who broke completely away from the traditional model: technically flawless, their wines were the result of an intense focus on fruit concentration, smooth tannins, short macerations, and a substantial amount of oak from small barrels. The so-called modernist movement achieved such immense international success that it made them unmistakable; from those days to today, the Altare winery remains one of the most iconic for enthusiasts, still led by Elio alongside his children. A highly prestigious family-run estate producing 70,000 bottles annually with a deep passion for wine and love for their land, sourcing grapes from incredible vineyards such as Arborina, Cannubi, Brunate, and Cerretta for Nebbiolo and Barbera, and extending as far as Liguria with the Campogrande estate for white wines in the La Spezia area. Pure excellence expressed through elegant and balanced wines, achieved through simple and natural vineyard practices—without the use of biodynamics or similar philosophies—relying solely on the experience acquired and passed down through dozens of generations. Years go by, times change, but the desire to continue experimenting and leave a mark is stronger than ever!