Nervi-Conterno Gattinara DOCG Vigna Valferana 2019, Piedmont, Italy

Nervi is a historic, benchmark Gattinara producer possessing some of the most prized vineyard holdings in all of the appellation. The winery was founded in 1906 by Italo Nervi and is the oldest Cantina in Gattinara, though many of the vineyards had already been in the family dating back as far as 1679. The estate comprises 28.5 hectares of vineyards including their top crus of Molsino and Valferana as well as Garavoglie and Casacce. The winery focuses on three Gattinara bottlings – Gattinara, Gattinara Molsino and Gattinara Valferana. The single-vineyard bottlings contain the best fruit from those vineyards. The Gattinara spends a minimum of 4 years in large wood vats. A wine of soaring intensity, the 2019 Gattinara Valferrana opens with intensely floral aromatics that are immediately alluring. Bright red-fleshed fruit, chalk and mint lend notable inner sweetness. At times, the Valferana is quite potent, in other moments it presents notable finesse. That counterpoint makes for an absolutely compelling Gattinara.