Piemonte, Italy
Elio Altare
The man who started the Barolo Wars
Est. 1948
About the Estate
Elio Altare is the man who took a chainsaw to his father's old barrels and started the Barolo Wars. In 1976, frustrated by the region's refusal to evolve, he travelled to Burgundy and came back convinced that Barolo could be made with more finesse, shorter maceration and French oak ageing. When he started replacing the family's traditional large casks with barriques in 1983, his father was so furious that he disinherited him. Elio bought the estate back from his siblings and kept going. He became the leader of the "Barolo Boys," a group of modernist producers who transformed the region's wines from tannic, unapproachable monsters into something you could actually drink within a decade of release. His daughter Silvia now runs the estate, farming 12 hectares organically in La Morra, Serralunga and Castiglione Falletto.
Grape Varieties
Nebbiolo; Barbera; Dolcetto
Heritage & Milestones
A journey through time, celebrating the moments that defined our legacy
The Altare Family Arrives in La Morra
The Altare family acquires a 5-hectare farm in La Morra, in the heart of the Barolo production zone.
The Trip to Burgundy
Elio Altare visits Burgundy and returns convinced that Barolo can be made with more finesse, shorter maceration times and French oak ageing. He begins implementing changes that put him on a collision course with his father and the entire region.
The Chainsaw Incident
In the summer of 1983, Elio takes a chainsaw to the family's old botti in the courtyard, destroying the traditional large casks to make room for French barriques. His father is furious and eventually disinherits him. Elio buys the estate back from his siblings.
The Altare Family Arrives in La Morra
The Altare family acquires a 5-hectare farm in La Morra, in the heart of the Barolo production zone.
The Trip to Burgundy
Elio Altare visits Burgundy and returns convinced that Barolo can be made with more finesse, shorter maceration times and French oak ageing. He begins implementing changes that put him on a collision course with his father and the entire region.
The Chainsaw Incident
In the summer of 1983, Elio takes a chainsaw to the family's old botti in the courtyard, destroying the traditional large casks to make room for French barriques. His father is furious and eventually disinherits him. Elio buys the estate back from his siblings.
Vineyard Location
Piemonte, Italy
Terroir
12 hectares in La Morra (Arborina), Serralunga d'Alba (Cerretta Vigna Bricco) and Castiglione Falletto. The La Morra vineyards sit on Tortonian sandstone and marl, producing more aromatic and elegant wines. The Serralunga parcel (Cerretta) sits on heavier Helvetian limestone and clay, producing more structured and powerful Nebbiolo. All farming is organic, using indigenous yeasts and spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The wines are neither fined nor filtered. Ageing in French barriques (225 litres) for approximately 24 months with around 20% new oak.
Available Wines
Discover our curated selection from Elio Altare
