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Elio Altare, Barolo, 1986

Red Wine from Piedmont, Italy
by Elio Altare
$79.99
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Elio Altare's straight Barolo from 1986 — a 40-year-old document of the moment the appellation changed. Three years after Altare famously chainsawed his father's old casks in 1983, this is among the earliest fruits of his small-barriques, short-maceration revolution. The 1986 vintage was uneven across Piedmont — spring hail cut yields by 40-45% — but produced elegant, harmonious wines where growers worked carefully. Altare worked very carefully. Four decades on, this has long since shed its frame and now lives on aromatics, silk, and savory length. Daughter Silvia Altare runs the estate today, but a bottle like this is pure pioneer-era Elio. Tertiary, mature, fragile — best opened with patience and a careful pour off any sediment.

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More about Elio Altare

Wine Details

  • Grape Variety

    Nebbiolo

  • Vintage

    1986

  • Size

    750ml

  • Farming Practice

    Traditional

  • Sweetness

    Dry

  • Body

    Full Bodied

Flatiron's Take

From the Importer

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Tasting Notes & Food Pairings

Perfect Pairings

Treat it gently. Roast pheasant, agnolotti in clear brodo, a wedge of aged Bra duro, or simply seared porcini on toast. Nothing too heavy or sauce-driven.

Tasting Profile

Garnet, translucent. Dried rose, sour cherry preserve, tobacco, leather, truffle, sweet tea, balsamic notes. Tannins fully resolved into satin. Long savory finish. Whispering, not declarative — pour gently.

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