Gattinara, the wine from the village of the same name, is regarded as the
crown jewel of wines from alto Piemonte and was first declared a DOC back in
1967. Alto Piemonte, in the foothills of the Alps and Monte Rosa, north east of
Torino, made its name long before Barolo and Barbaresco and was once home to
40,000 hectares of vines. In the 20th century, due to a combination of
phylloxera, wars and rural hardship, people abandoned the farms and vineyards in
search of a better life and work in the cities. Today there are less than 1000
hectares and under 100 in Gattinara.
Mauro Franchino has devoted his life
to Spanna, the local name for Nebbiolo and, now in his late 60's, Mauro has
harvested more than 50 vintages! His three hectares of vineyards, planted in
1967, are on the banks of Sesia river on rocky granite soils that are rich in
iron, potassium and manganese. The wine is fermented in concrete vats and
aged in botti for three years. Whilst Gattinara might produce the richest wines
from these northern zones, it is a wine that is more about grace and energy than
sheer power, yet is just as perfumed and complex as those from the Langhe. With
just 3000 bottles produced, our allocation remains tiny. If you love Nebbiolo,
this is a must buy wine.