Nervi-Conterno is the oldest operating winery in Gattinara, with large holdings in both Molsino and Valferana - two of the top crus in the region. Nervi was founded in 1906 by Italo Nervi, though many of the vineyards had already been in the family since 1679. In 2018, the winery was purchased by Roberto Conterno with the aim of applying the same impeccable attention to detail and quality to the wines of Nervi as he does to those of the Giacomo Conterno estate.
The magic of Nebbiolo lies in its expression of terroir, and Gattinara is defined by its unique terroir - a vein of volanic gravel on steep, high-elevation slopes. With wide diurnal temperature swings that provide the perfect environment for Nebbiolo, the resulting wines have incredible complexity, stunning minerality and potential to age. Nervi's vineyards are among Gattinara's finest.
There are three Gattinaras in the range – Gattinara, Gattinara Molsino and Gattinara Valferana. The wines are made with meticulous attention to detail in both vineyard and winery, with lengthy fermentations and long ageing periods in old oak casks. No fining or filtration. Roberto Conterno does not intend to change the classic style in which these wines have long been made. Instead, he hopes to learn from the wines. The wines are already traditional, pure and age-worthy and they are surely only going to get better. According to Antonio Galloni, they can certainly stand alongside Conterno’s Barolos.
The straight Gattinara is the most approachable of the wines and is therefore released a year earlier. It contains the best fruit from Garavoglie and Casacce as well as some wine declassified from Molsino and Valferana. The two vineyard designates – Molsino and Valferrana – offer different shades of complexity, finesse and intensity, depending on the year. Made by strictly old-school methods, including lengthy fermentations and three to four years aging in neutral Slovenian oak botti. The Molsino is the first of the two single vineyards to ripen and can be a bigger wine, while the Valferrana ripens later because of its somewhat more sheltered position. 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.