Giacomo Conterno, Nervi NERVI Gattinara Vigna Valferana 2019 Giacomo Conterno

Description

Here is a 2019 Gattinara wine, obtained exclusively from the famous Vigna Valferana cru. This wine represents an excellent interpretation of this Alpine terroir, showing an austere and profound character, typical of the denomination. The Valferana vineyards, over 30 years old and located 320 meters above sea level, produce high quality specimens like this one. The soil rich in iron and manganese, combined with Conterno’s skill, gives this wine a clear, intense and powerful flavor profile. The maturation of 48 months in oak barrels, followed by 6 months in cement and a further 6 months in the bottle, helps to perfect a tasting that ranks among the best in the wine scene.

Nervi is a historic reference producer of the Gattinara denomination. The winery was founded in 1906 by Italo Nervi and is the oldest winery in Gattinara, although many of the vineyards were already in the family dating back to 1679. The estate includes 28.5 hectares of vineyards including their best crus of Molsino and Valferana as well as Garavoglie and Casacce. These are historic Gattinara crus – mentions of Molsino in municipal documents date back to 1471 and those of Valferana date back to 1231. The Nervi family built the reputation of the estate, managing it continuously until 1991 when the steel magnate, Germano Bocciolone, purchased the estate. Twenty years later, a group of Norwegian investors led by an avid wine collector, Erling Astrup, purchased the winery. Astrup sought to push the quality level at Nervi and sought advice from his long-time friend Roberto Conterno.

In 2018, the group decided to sell the company and, wanting to hand it over in good hands, felt it was best to offer it to Roberto Conterno first. Roberto had not been looking for a new winery, but the opportunity to acquire such a historic estate was too difficult to refuse. Roberto’s goal, together with his children, is to apply the same meticulous attention to detail and quality as the Giacomo Conterno estate to the Nervi wines. The wines are already traditional, pure and with great room for improvement. Cantine Giacomo Conterno is one of the biggest names in all of Piedmont. The estate was founded in 1908 when Giacomo’s father, Giovanni Conterno, opened a tavern in the town of San Giuseppe. Giovanni made Barolo from purchased grapes and sold what was not needed for the tavern, as was customary throughout the region at the beginning of the 20th century. The Riserva Barolo Monfortino was bottled for the first time in 1920, produced by Giovanni and his son Giacomo upon their return from the war. The myth began like this.