The Altare family bought this La Morra farm in 1948 and planted the Arborina vineyard the same year. Calcareous clay and sand, and vines old enough to remember when the orchards paid better than the grapes. For this bottling Elio Altare hand de-stems every berry, one by one, which is either madness or devotion depending on how you feel about Nebbiolo. Structure that only Barolo gives you, mid-palate you can lean on: 2013, and worth the wait.
Winemaker Notes
100% Nebbiolo harvested from the Aborina vineyard in La Morra Vineyard planted in 1948 to calcareous clay and sand soils Altare hand de-stems each berry for this special bottling “one by one” (“unoperuno”)
Professional Ratings
97
Jeb DunnuckA deeper ruby color, the 2022 Barolo Unoperuno is a special cuvée composed of hand-selected berries from Cannubi, Cerretta, Arborina, and a small portion of Sorano in this vintage. Aromas of cherry cordial, lavender, fresh flowers, and earth emerge from the glass. Medium to full-bodied, it™s pure, long, and beautifully balanced, with supple tannins and remarkable aromatic lift. It™s already compel
97
VinousThe 2021 Barolo Unoperuno is fabulous. Silky tannins and lifted, beautifully articulated aromatics give the 2021 tons of allure. Deep and yet also translucent, the 2021 is an absolute delight. It is one of the best editions of this wine I have tasted. Cedar, blood orange, new leather and rose petal add an exotic flair. Unoperuno is a rare Barolo made from hand-destemmed fruit. It remains among the
96
Wine AdvocateThe Elio Altare 2021 Barolo Unoperuno shows a distinctive bouquet with aromas of cola, balsam herb and candied cherry. The wine's intensity is especially bright and vertical. The name Unoperuno refers to the grapes that are sorted
95
DecanterOnce again, Silvia Altare is marvellously off-trend. While a growing number of estates are experimenting with stem inclusion, she " with a team of 20 " hand destems each berry one by one (~unoperuno™). The hefty price tag reflects this painstaking effort. Intense aromas of rose, cherry and raspberry compote marry effortlessly with sweet spice oak inflections. The palate brings in smoky tea and coc
95
Wine SpectatorA bright, fresh, cherry-infused red, with hints of raspberry, tar, iron and toasty oak. Shuts down pretty quickly, leaving a lightly chewy feel, but there™s plenty of stuffing and ripe red fruit. Best from 2030 through 2049."B.S.
About the Producer
The Altare family originally comes from the town of Dogliani, then in 1948 they bought the farm in La Morra. Back then, the estate covered 5 hectares of nebbiolo, barbera and dolcetto vineyards, along with some peach, hazelnut and apple trees, but those were times when orchards gave higher yield and more profit than vineyards. Faced with a severe and long lasting economic crisis in Italy, Elio along with other curious barolisti, decided to learn more about winemaking beyond the borders of Piedmont in an attempt to emulate the success that those regions were enjoying.
