Gattinara is a municipality in the province of Vercelli, at the foot of the Alps, on the right bank of the Sesia river. Here Nebbiolo, known locally as Spanna, gives one of the longest-lived reds of Piedmont. The appellation covers the whole municipal territory: about 98 hectares of vineyard, with an output of 3,820 hectolitres. It is one of Italy's smallest and oldest appellations: DOC since 1967, DOCG since 1990.
Nebbiolo of the north
The vineyards lie between 250 and 550 metres above sea level, on hills of volcanic and porphyritic origin, with acidic, mineral-rich soils, very different from the calcareous marls of Barolo and Barbaresco. The cooler climate, influenced by the mountains, gives wines of great acidity and finesse.
The regulations require at least 90% Nebbiolo, with small additions of Uva Rara, up to 10%, and Vespolina, up to 4%. Minimum alcohol is 12.5%.
Long ageing
Gattinara ages for at least 35 months, 24 of them in cask, and cannot be released before 1 October of the third year after the harvest. The Riserva ages for at least 47 months, 36 of them in cask. In the glass it is garnet, with aromas of dried rose, violet, red fruit, spice and an iron note; the tannins are dense but elegant, the acidity firm. It holds up well for decades in bottle.
A history of courts and science
Viticulture in Gattinara predates the Roman conquest. Sources record that wine was already exported in 1378; in 1525 the chancellor Mercurino di Gattinara presented casks of the local wine to the European courts. In 1872 the Royal Experimental Oenological Station was founded in Gattinara, with a winemaking school, an experimental cellar and a weather station. At the table Gattinara goes with braised meats, game, mushroom risotto and aged cheeses.
