Nebbiolo, the variety undergirding the Langhe's famed Barolo and Barbaresco wines, is considered Italy's most noble grape, primarily based on its performance in that region. The cultivar is, however, grown -- and referred to by other names -- in areas beyond the home of the "King of Wines." The table below shows the names by which the variety is known outside the Langhe-Roero regions and the associated planting sizes.
| Region | Sub-Region | Variety Nomenclature | Planting Size (ha) |
| Langhe | Barolo | Nebbiolo | 2098 |
| Barbaresco | Nebbiolo | 716 | |
Alba | Nebbiolo | 1262.5* | |
Roero | Nebbiolo | 139.5** | |
| Alta Piemonte | Gattinara, Ghemme + | Spanna | 884 |
| Val d’Ossola | Prunent | N/A | |
| Lombardy | Valtellina | Chiavennasca | 900 |
| Valle d’Aosta | Donnaz, Arnand-Montjovet | Picotendro | 25*** |
| Sardinia | Gallura | Nebbiolo | 52*** |
on relative production; ***2004 data.
In the Alto Piemonte region, the Nebbiolo grape-- called Spanna therein -- is also viewed fondly by "native" winemakers who embrace the fact that their wines differ markedly from that of their better-known brethren to the south.
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| Alto Piemonte Wine Region (Source:skurnik.com) |
I have been on a journey of exploration through the subzones of Alto Piemonte and continue in this post with a discussion of Gattinara DOCG.
Gattinara DOCG
The Gattinara wine region is a 105-ha wine zone encompassing the entirety of the municipality of Gattinara. The zone, which is older than Barolo, covered 600 ha at the end of the 1800s but was completely destroyed by phylloxera and the devastating 1905 hailstorm. The key characteristics of the region are detailed in the chart below.
Gattinara soils, as shown in the chart, are both acidic and rich in a variety of minerals and elements. The vines grown in this soil produce grapes "with a unique flavor profile" and high acidity and tannin levels.
Selected Estates: Nervi-Conterno and Travaglini Estate Winery
Conterno-Nervi
Roberto Conterno, one of the most influential Barolo producers, bought Nervi, the oldest officially recognized Gattinara winery, in 2018. Nervi was founded in 1906 by Luigi Nervi and its 28 ha includes the notable cru vineyards Molsino and Valferana as well as the top sites Garavoglie and Cassace. According to rarewineco.com:
The south-facing amphitheater of Molsino is one of Piedmont's great vineyards, revered since the 15th century as a source of Gattinara of both power and finesse. Valferana's open west-facing slopes can trace an even longer history, as documents dating back to 1231 attest. This cool terroir produces a very elegant and mineral Gattinara to complement the more potent Molsino.
Nervi was purchased from the family by the steel magnate Germano Bacciolone in 1991 and then sold to Erling and Katherine Alstrop in 2009 before finally making its way into the hands of Roberto in 2018. Operations are very traditional with pruning and harvesting done by hand and fermentation and aging in large oak casks.
Conterno-Nervi makes two single-vineyard wines from Molsino and Valferana, a cuvée using grapes from all four vineyards, and a Rosato from the same sources.
Travaglini Estate Winery
The Travaglini family has owned land in Gattinara since the 19th century wherein they farmed a few hectares of vines and produced wine for local consumption. A small winery was established Clemente Travaglini who was succeeded by his son Arturo who was in turn, succeeded by his son Giancarlo. Gtiancarlo established the Travaglini Estate Winery in 1958. He was also instrumental in viticultural and winemaking developments in the area through pioneering research into:
- High-density planting (up to 5000 vines/ha)
- 100% hand-harvesting
- Guyot training
- The use of barriques.
The estate today is 55 ha in size with 52 of those dedicated to vines. The majority of the plantings are Nebbiolo with some of the older vines being Vespolina and Bonarda. Vines are between 6 and 45 years of age.
All vines are trained Guyot and are planted facing south and southwest. Older vines are planted at 3500/ha while younger ones are deployed at 5000/ha. Vineyard elevation ranges between 320 and 420 m.
In addition to the Gattinara DOCG normale, the estate produces a Riserva and a cuvée (Tre Vigne) made from grapes sourced from three historical vineyards. Other Nebbiolo-based wines produced by the estate include a Coste delle Sesia Nebbiolo and a Metodo Classico Nebolé.
Two Wines from the Estates
I tasted a 2016 vintage from each of the estates.
2016 Nervi-Conterno Gattinara -- Hand-harvested. Gentle de-stemming and crushing followed by fermentation in stainless steel vats. Macerated for a minimum of 15 days post alcoholic fermentation. Malo in oak barrels. Aged for 30 months in large oak barrels.
Popped and poured. Darker in color than the Travaglini. Dark cherries, licorice, anise, herbs, and spice on the nose initially. Herbs, hint of shoe polish, juniper berry, black pepper with time. Spice on the palate, rose water, green herbs, round tannins on the palate initially. More textured with the passage of time. Weightier and increasing character. With additional time, earthier, dark red fruits, salinity, shoe polish, and dried herbs.
2016 Travaglini Gattinara -- Grapes crushed and macerated for 15 days in stainless steel tanks. Aged for three years (two of which were in Slovenian oak casks of different origins and sizes) before bottling. Spent three months in bottle before release on market.
Lighter in color than the Conterno-Nervi. Cherries, raspberries, rosemary and earth on the nose. Medium body with elevated acidity and chalky tannins. Lighter and brighter than the Conterno-Nervi.
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