Elio Altare is now one of the finest winegrowers in Piedmont. But things have not always been straightforward. This Burgundy-lover and visionary wanted to modernise the old Barolo wines, but this brought him into conflict with his father, who disinherited him. Undaunted, Elio Altare managed to buy back his father's domaine and now, with his daughter Silvia, produces pesticide and chemical-free wines vinified with indigenous yeasts, in la Morra, a town in the Barolo region. His wines are strikingly elegant and extraordinarily silky smooth, both literally and figuratively. They are also stunningly fresh. This is a truly great domaine.

As its name suggests, Dolcetto d'Alba is a remarkably soft, gentle wine. The north-north-east-facing parcel which produces this wine consists of sandy limestone soils. The wines are matured in stainless steel tanks, retaining a remarkable freshness, with delicate, silky tannins featuring well-worked red and black cherry peaks. A great wine.