2021 Conterno-Nervi Gattinara
Grape
Nebbiolo
Its Origins
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. These are historic crus in Gattinara – mentions of Molsino in town records date as far back as 1471 and those of Valferana date back to 1231! The Nervi family built up the reputation of the estate, running it continually until 1991 when a steel magnate named Germano Bocciolone purchased the estate. Twenty years later, a group of Norwegian investors led by a passionate wine collector, Erling Astrup, purchased the winery. Astrup endeavored to push the level of quality at Nervi and sought out advice from his longtime friend Roberto Conterno. In 2018, the group decided to sell the winery and, wanting to see it fall into good hands, felt it was best to offer it first to Roberto Conterno. While Roberto had not been actively seeking out a new winery, the opportunity to acquire such an historic estate with great vineyard holdings of Nebbiolo was too hard to pass up. Roberto’s aim, along with his sons, is to apply the same fastidious attention to detail and quality to the wines of Nervi as he does to those of the Giacomo Conterno estate. The wines are already traditional, pure and age-worthy and they are surely only going to get better from here!
What The Critics Say
94/100 Vinous, Antonio Galloni (2020 vintage)
"The 2020 Gattinara is elegant and lifted. Crushed red berry fruit, cinnamon and orange peel grace this ethereal, nuanced Gattinara. Bright saline notes and sweet red-toned fruit build into the long, persistent finish. Understated and silky, the 2020 is exquisite. All this needs is a few years to soften. I have visited Nervi several times over the years, but it was the visit just after Roberto Conterno acquired the estate that sticks in my mind most because even then, the vision for what would follow was evident. Since then, Conterno and his team have made a series of stellar wines. There are three Gattinaras in the range. The straight Gattinara is the most approachable of the wines and is therefore released a year earlier, although aging for all three wines is three years in wood. Readers often ask if the Nervi wines are of comparable quality to his Barolos. I don’t think of wine as a competition. Some vintages may favor one appellation over another, the most striking example being 2018, when the Nervi wines were quite a bit more complex than the Conterno Barolos. Aside from those cases, the wines from the two estates can absolutely stand side by side. In fact, that is how I taste them every year. Drink 2024-2045"
Vinous, Antonio Galloni
"I fully expected that Roberto Conterno would elevate quality at Nervi upon his acquisition of the winery in 2018. What I did not expect was that the change would happen so fast and that the makeover would be so extreme. A historic estate, Nervi had fallen on rough times in which quality was all over the place. Before his acquisition, Conterno had started consulting on an informal basis for the former owners, so he had a running start. Even so, the investments here have been considerable and include a new winery and a state of the art bottling line, which means Conterno owns two more of these gleaming machines than most wineries around the world. It was not that long ago that Conterno answered all phone calls himself at the family winery in Monforte. Since then, he has elevated the wines at two estates through passion, conviction and relentless drive. Just as impressively, though, Conterno has built a strong team to execute on his vision. The importance of that can’t possibly be overstated." - Antonio Galloni
| Variety | Nebbiolo |
|---|---|
| Region | Piedmont |
| Closure | Cork |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Maturity | 2026 - 2044 |
This Wine Goes Well With
Taste
We deliver throughout New Zealand and to some locations overseas. Our deliveries are made by trusted third party carriers. For further details on prices and delivery options please go to DELIVERY INFORMATION section of our site.
If for any reason you are not entirely happy with your order or you suspect that they may be affected by a quality issue, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will remedy the problem straight away. Contact us on 0800 422 767.
