Barolo “UnoPerUno” DOCG 2021

Elio Altare | Piedmont
Az. Agr. Elio Altare | Cascina Nuova 51 | IT 12064 La Morra

05253721 · 0,75 l · 358,67 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shipping< 24 units available
Limitation of 3 articles per customer

It was spring 2010, a family lunch at Altare. Elio opens a bottle of Larigi 1986 – a Barbera from a notoriously difficult vintage, characterised by hail and rain, one of the last bottles from the family library. The expectations? Low. The result? Spectacular. Antonio Galloni later said of this wine: "The fruit remains lively and incredibly pure right through to the long, polished final. The balance is simply superb." Why was this wine so exceptional? Because in 1986, in a vintage destroyed by hail, Elio decided to destem every single berry by hand – only the few perfect berries went into the mash. Two barriques, 600 bottles, one great Barbera. Silvia Altare remembers this lunch and the idea that came from it: "Why don't we try this with Nebbiolo? And why not with our historic family vineyard Arborina?" The 2010 harvest was imminent and the grapes were perfectly ripe. The goal? Maximum purity of the fruit – no stems, no leaves, no unwanted berries, no insects. Because Nebbiolo is difficult to destem completely: The stems are fragile, even the most expensive machines cannot work as precisely as the human hand. 26 days of work, three barriques, 900 bottles – the first UnoPerUno was born. 2010 was never released, it was the first attempt ...

The official premiere took place in 2011. The name? UnoPerUno – "One for one", berry by berry. No better name for this painstaking, time-consuming labour of love that had never been done before in Barolo. Today, in 2021, the team has perfected the process: The manual destemming takes about a week, with ten people plucking 15 to 16 crates a day – with music, wine and good humour, as Silvia explains. Each berry is not only destemmed, but also picked again by hand – anything imperfect goes to waste. A method that is almost priceless.

UnoPerUno 2021 is a super blend from the estate's best vineyards: Cannubi, Cerretta, Sarmassa, Roddi – and, for the first time, grapes from the Sorano cru vineyard in Serralunga, which brings more pressure and structure. Five harvest, collected separately from each vineyard in small buckets. The undamaged grapes are fermented in open, upright barriques, regularly pressed down with a pestle and crushed. Matured in barriques like all Altare– In 2021, four barrels were used, one of them new. Light ruby red with garnet reflections in the glass. Fresh on the nose with fresh fruit, rose petals and flowers. Warm and elegant on the palate, with silky, soft tannins that never dry out. That's all we have to say, sorry. Only 1,200 bottles. A privilege for very few. SUPERIORE.DE

"Powerful, dark ruby colour. Inspiring nose with notes of raspberry and wild strawberry, clear and inviting, with some sweet almond paste and fresh leather. Lots of ripe, red berry fruit on the palate, paired with dense tannins, interwoven with sweet melting, describes a long arc, salty in the aftertaste." Falstaff

"Silvia Altare is once again wonderfully unconventional. While a growing number of wineries are experimenting with stem integration, she has – with a team of 20 – de-stemmed each berry individually by hand ('unoperuno'). The high price reflects this meticulous work. Intense aromas of rose, cherry and raspberry compote combine effortlessly with sweet, spicy oak notes. The palate reveals smoky notes of tea and cocoa, the tannins are remarkably soft and silky for a Nebbiolo, and the acidity is equally supple. The polished wood gives it a fine-grained texture. All very luxurious and disarming." Decanter

"A bright, fresh, cherry-coloured red with notes of raspberry, tar, iron and toasted oak. It subsides fairly quickly, leaving a slightly chewy feel, but there's plenty of stuffing and ripe red fruit." Wine Spectator

"The Barolo Unoperuno 2021 has a pronounced bouquet with aromas of cola, balsamic herbs and candied cherries. The intensity of the wine is particularly bright and vertical. The name Unoperuno refers to the grapes, which are sorted "one by one". The wine matures for 24 months in barriques with 20% new oak. It has power and vigour, and the high alcohol content of 15% does not go unnoticed." Wine Advocate

"The 2021 Barolo Unoperuno is fabulous. Silky tannins and lifted, beautifully articulated flavours give the 2021 tons of appeal. Deep yet translucent, the 2021 is an absolute delight. It's one of the best editions of this wine I've ever tasted. Cedar, blood orange, new leather and rose petals give it an exotic flair. Unoperuno is a rare Barolo made from fruit harvested by hand. It is one of the most distinctive wines in the whole of Piedmont." Vinous