Gattinara Riserva 2017 – Travaglini

Northern Piedmont has a long tradition in the production of outstanding red wines from the Nebbiolo grape. Unlike the wines of Barolo and Barbaresco, the cooler mountainous vineyards of Gattinara and the hills around Novara and Vercelli in the north-east section of Piedmont produce some of the most lithe, refined and perfumed Nebbiolo wines of all, that also age remarkably well. There are several DOC and DOCGs in Vercelli, Novara, and Biella provinces, but Gattinara is the most widely known. The best Gattinara wines are made from 100% Nebbiolo and during the last 40 years, Giancarlo Travaglini has made it his mission to spread the name of the historical wine, gaining recognition around the world for high-quality wine production. Travaglini cultivates roughly 48 hectares out of a total of only 100 hectares for the whole Gattinara DOCG, and has always made richer wines than most in the area; indeed, his wines often had an uncanny resemblance to those of Barbaresco in decades past. The wines are traditionally crafted with medium to long maceration times and are aged in large Slavonian oak casks. The Nebbiolo is complex and refined with classic full body and palate. The three Gattinara versions made at Travaglini are simply outstanding examples of Old World, traditionally crafted, red wines that age gracefully while gaining complexity as time passes.